community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in El Jebel, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 84% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in summer (83rd percentile) and lowest in fall (62nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi SW).
When is the honey flow in El Jebel?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of El Jebel, 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 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; 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 66 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 El Jebel
Mostly: Rocky Mountain Gambel Oak-Mixed Montane Shrubland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Rocky Mountain Aspen Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.27 mi SW.
How El Jebel ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 42nd | 76th | 80th |
| Colorado | 84th | 65th | 83rd | 62nd |
| Southern Rockies | 86th | 95th | 79th | 64th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 50% 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 El Jebel: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Catherine 3 mi · Basalt 4 mi · Mulford 4 mi · Carbondale 6 mi · Cattle Creek 10 mi · Woody Creek 14 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 El Jebel (39.407, -107.0942); 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.