town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in La Veta, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (75th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in La Veta?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of La Veta, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, 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 39 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi S, blooms late Jun – early 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 La Veta
Mostly: Western Great Plains Foothill and Piedmont Grassland; Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.27 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.32 mi W.
How La Veta ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 62nd | 78th | 86th |
| Colorado | 96th | 97th | 86th | 75th |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 99th | 75th | 98th | 83rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 64% 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 La Veta: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Walsenburg 15 mi · Aguilar 21 mi · Lynn 21 mi · Gardner 21 mi · Fort Garland 24 mi · Stonewall Gap 24 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 La Veta (37.5086, -105.0085); 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.