city in Utah
Honey bee forage in Salina, Utah
Estimated forage here is better than about 87% of sites in Utah. Against other Utah sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in fall (76th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.5 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Salina?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, yellow starthistle, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Salina, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on May 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, weedy mustards; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, yellow starthistle; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Alfalfa: about 3,116 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Salina
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Great Basin Xeric Mixed Sagebrush Shrubland; Alfalfa.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.38 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.66 mi E.
How Salina ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 50th | 46th | 68th | 77th |
| Utah | 87th | 94th | 83rd | 76th |
| Central Basin and Range | 93rd | 94th | 93rd | 60th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Salina: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Aurora 4 mi · Redmond 5 mi · Sigurd 7 mi · Centerfield 13 mi · Glenwood 14 mi · Mayfield 15 mi
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Salina (38.9388, -111.8652); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.