community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Kirk, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (34th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi E); sorghum (nearest 1.4 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.2 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Kirk?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Kirk, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra 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
- Corn: about 540 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, 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 Kirk
Mostly: Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland; Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.36 mi N; pond, lake or river 1.36 mi N.
How Kirk ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 67th | 80th | 63rd |
| Colorado | 97th | 98th | 91st | 34th |
| High Plains | 94th | 91st | 87th | 57th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 36% 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 Kirk: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Joes 6 mi · Cope 14 mi · Idalia 17 mi · Stratton 22 mi · Vona 23 mi · Bethune 23 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 Kirk (39.6145, -102.5914); 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.