community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Black Forest, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in summer (78th percentile) and lowest in fall (56th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.1 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Black Forest?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Black Forest, 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 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
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 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.1 mi SW, blooms early Jul – late Sep (grown 3 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 Black Forest
Mostly: Western Great Plains Foothill and Piedmont Grassland; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.03 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi NE.
How Black Forest ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 54th | 42nd | 74th | 77th |
| Colorado | 81st | 65th | 78th | 56th |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 94th | 13th | 98th | 51st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 79% 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 Black Forest: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Gleneagle 8 mi · Monument 9 mi · Woodmoor 9 mi · Peyton 10 mi · Air Force Academy 11 mi · Palmer Lake 13 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 Black Forest (39.0636, -104.6796); 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.