city in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Manitou Springs, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 86% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in fall (44th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.6 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Manitou Springs?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Manitou Springs, 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 17.
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): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, garden flowers; 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 9 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi SE, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 4 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 Manitou Springs
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Rocky Mountain Gambel Oak-Mixed Montane Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.42 mi NE.
How Manitou Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 61st | 58th | 73rd | 70th |
| Colorado | 86th | 94th | 73rd | 44th |
| Southern Rockies | 88th | 100th | 67th | 48th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 61% 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 Manitou Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cascade-Chipita Park 8 mi · Green Mountain Falls 8 mi · Colorado Springs 8 mi · Stratmoor 9 mi · Air Force Academy 10 mi · Cimarron Hills 11 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 Manitou Springs (38.8575, -104.9129); 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.