community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Brandon, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 56% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (88th percentile) and lowest in summer (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 1.9 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Brandon?
- First forage: Mar 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (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 Brandon, 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 Apr 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, 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), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers, dandelion; 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
- Sorghum: about 1,716 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 37 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Brandon
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Western Great Plains Sandhill Steppe; Winter Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.8 mi E; open water 1.14 mi W.
How Brandon ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 38th | 52nd | 55th | 67th |
| Colorado | 56th | 88th | 39th | 40th |
| High Plains | 33rd | 64th | 28th | 61st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 53% 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 Brandon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sheridan Lake 8 mi · Eads 18 mi · Towner 20 mi · Wiley 25 mi · Hartman 25 mi · Cheyenne Wells 26 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 Brandon (38.4464, -102.4412); 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.