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Honey bee forage in Dove Creek, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in Colorado. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Colorado sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi NW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); safflower (nearest 0.6 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 0.6 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Dove Creek?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Aug (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dry Beans)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Dove Creek, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), himalayan blackberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, dry Beans, safflower, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): dry Beans, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, dry Beans, alfalfa; extra light amber, 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 1,355 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi W, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Safflower: about 320 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi N, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Dry beans: about 251 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi E, blooms late 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 Dove Creek
Mostly: Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.42 mi SE.
How Dove Creek ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 49th | 82nd | 91st |
| Colorado | 96th | 85th | 94th | 86th |
| Colorado Plateaus | 99th | 98th | 99th | 99th |
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 Dove Creek: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lewis 23 mi · Dolores 30 mi · Cortez 34 mi · Naturita 36 mi · Redvale 39 mi · Towaoc 40 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 Dove Creek (37.7668, -108.9072); 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.