community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Colona, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 67% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in summer (71st percentile) and lowest in fall (33rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Colona?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- 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 Colona, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, rabbitbrush, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, 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 475 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Colona
Mostly: Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.03 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi S.
How Colona ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 44th | 37th | 72nd | 63rd |
| Colorado | 67th | 54th | 71st | 33rd |
| Colorado Plateaus | 94th | 93rd | 95th | 77th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 39% 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 Colona: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Loghill Village 9 mi · Montrose 11 mi · Ridgway 12 mi · Portland 17 mi · Ouray 22 mi · Olathe 22 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 Colona (38.3275, -107.7793); 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.