town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Merino, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi NE); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Merino?
- First forage: Mar 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Merino, 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 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Corn: about 3,137 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 71 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SW, blooms early Jun – late Aug (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 Merino
Mostly: Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland; Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.26 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.32 mi NW.
How Merino ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 65th | 81st | 50th |
| Colorado | 97th | 98th | 93rd | 16th |
| High Plains | 94th | 90th | 88th | 39th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 39% 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 Merino: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Atwood 6 mi · Sterling 13 mi · Hillrose 14 mi · Snyder 16 mi · Brush 21 mi · Padroni 23 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 Merino (40.4837, -103.3537); 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.