community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Alamosa East, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 93% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (96th percentile) and lowest in fall (68th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi SE).
When is the honey flow in Alamosa East?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Alamosa East, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September 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
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, willows; 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 93 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Alamosa East
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat; Rocky Mountain Alpine-Montane Wet Meadow; North American Arid West Emergent Marsh.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi NE.
How Alamosa East ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 61st | 76th | 83rd |
| Colorado | 93rd | 96th | 82nd | 68th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 98th | 98th | 98th | 83rd |
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 Alamosa East: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Alamosa 2 mi · La Jara 16 mi · Sanford 16 mi · Blanca 18 mi · Monte Vista 18 mi · Hooper 19 mi
All towns in Colorado · National map · How the scoring works
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 Alamosa East (37.4767, -105.8397); 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.