community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Amherst, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in summer (72nd percentile) and lowest in fall (6th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Amherst?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Amherst, 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Corn: about 2,947 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Millet: about 316 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 1 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 Amherst
Mostly: Winter Wheat; Corn; Fallow / idle cropland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.25 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.63 mi SE.
How Amherst ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 46th | 43rd | 73rd | 38th |
| Colorado | 68th | 68th | 72nd | 6th |
| High Plains | 54th | 41st | 67th | 28th |
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 Amherst: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Holyoke 10 mi · Paoli 16 mi · Julesburg 21 mi · Ovid 22 mi · Haxtun 24 mi · Sedgwick 25 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 Amherst (40.6832, -102.1726); 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.