community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Laporte, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (59th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Laporte?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 31, peaking early May (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Laporte, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; 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, alfalfa, dandelion; 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, alfalfa; 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 198 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 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 Laporte
Mostly: Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland; Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill Shrubland; Western Great Plains Foothill and Piedmont Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi E.
How Laporte ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 72nd | 77th | 78th |
| Colorado | 97th | 99th | 84th | 59th |
| High Plains | 94th | 95th | 80th | 77th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 49% 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 Laporte: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fort Collins 7 mi · Wellington 8 mi · Timnath 12 mi · Loveland 16 mi · Windsor 16 mi · Severance 17 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 Laporte (40.6377, -105.1436); 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.