town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Crook, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 92% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi N); corn (nearest 0.6 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Crook?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking early May (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Crook, 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 30.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra 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 250 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi N, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 133 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Aug (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 Crook
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Western Great Plains Sandhill Steppe; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi NW.
How Crook ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 68th | 68th | 73rd | 61st |
| Colorado | 92nd | 98th | 75th | 30th |
| High Plains | 88th | 92nd | 70th | 53rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 52% 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 Crook: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fleming 12 mi · Sedgwick 15 mi · Iliff 15 mi · Haxtun 17 mi · Peetz 18 mi · Padroni 20 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 Crook (40.8588, -102.8014); 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.