town in Utah
Honey bee forage in Sterling, Utah
Estimated forage here is better than about 85% of sites in Utah. Against other Utah sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in fall (57th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here).
When is the honey flow in Sterling?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sterling, 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 8.
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; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 88 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 5 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 Sterling
Mostly: Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Great Basin Xeric Mixed Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi NE.
How Sterling ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 45th | 40th | 70th | 66th |
| Utah | 85th | 90th | 85th | 57th |
| Wasatch and Uinta Mountains | 70th | 90th | 59th | 39th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 36% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Sterling: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mayfield 5 mi · Manti 6 mi · Gunnison 7 mi · Centerfield 8 mi · Fayette 9 mi · Ephraim 13 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 Sterling (39.1933, -111.6904); 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.