city in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Monte Vista, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Colorado. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Colorado sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 2.2 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Monte Vista?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, willows, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Monte Vista, 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 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
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 1,083 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 5 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 Monte Vista
Mostly: Alfalfa; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe; Rocky Mountain Alpine-Montane Wet Meadow.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.18 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.38 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 55% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Monte Vista ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 53rd | 83rd | 97th |
| Colorado | 98th | 90th | 95th | 96th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 99th | 95th | 99th | 98th |
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 Monte Vista: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Center 12 mi · Del Norte 13 mi · Alamosa 17 mi · Alamosa East 18 mi · Hooper 19 mi · Capulin 21 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 Monte Vista (37.5785, -106.1499); 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.