city in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Montrose, 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 (52nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.2 mi NE); dry beans (nearest 2.8 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Montrose?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Montrose, 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 4.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, garden flowers; 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
- Alfalfa: about 30 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 52 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NE, 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 Montrose
Mostly: Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi SW; open water 0.17 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 90% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Montrose ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 72nd | 77th | 74th |
| Colorado | 97th | 99th | 85th | 52nd |
| Colorado Plateaus | 100th | 100th | 97th | 91st |
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 Montrose: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Colona 11 mi · Olathe 12 mi · Loghill Village 19 mi · Crawford 21 mi · Lazear 22 mi · Ridgway 22 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 Montrose (38.4688, -107.859); 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.