community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Laird, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 82% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (24th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.3 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 2.7 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Laird?
- First forage: Mar 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jun (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Laird, 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 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spring-flowering shrubs, alfalfa, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, 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; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, spring-flowering shrubs, 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 144 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms early Jun – late Aug (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 Laird
Mostly: Western Great Plains Sandhill Steppe; Western Great Plains Sand Prairie; Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi SW.
How Laird ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 55th | 62nd | 67th | 57th |
| Colorado | 82nd | 97th | 61st | 24th |
| High Plains | 77th | 86th | 55th | 47th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 78% 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 Laird: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wray 7 mi · Vernon 15 mi · Eckley 21 mi · Idalia 28 mi · Yuma 33 mi · Holyoke 36 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 Laird (40.0818, -102.1019); 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.