community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Marvel, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 72% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in fall (89th percentile) and lowest in summer (58th). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 1.1 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); safflower (nearest 0.8 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Marvel?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Marvel, 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, weedy mustards, native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, weedy mustards; 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
- Canola: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi SW, blooms early Jun – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 250 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.2 mi N, blooms early Jul – 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 Marvel
Mostly: Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi SW.
How Marvel ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 47th | 41st | 66th | 93rd |
| Colorado | 72nd | 62nd | 58th | 89th |
| Colorado Plateaus | 95th | 95th | 92nd | 100th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Marvel: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Durango 17 mi · Mancos 19 mi · Ignacio 27 mi · Southern Ute 29 mi · Cortez 30 mi · Bayfield 31 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 Marvel (37.1112, -108.1263); 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.