community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Paragon Estates, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (55th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.0 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); pumpkins (nearest 1.0 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Paragon Estates?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Sep 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Paragon Estates, 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 Apr 30.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some 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 249 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi NE, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Pumpkins: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi N, blooms late Jun – early Oct (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 Paragon Estates
Mostly: Western Great Plains Foothill and Piedmont Grassland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Developed, medium intensity.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.11 mi S.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Pumpkins: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Paragon Estates ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 83rd | 74th | 76th |
| Colorado | 98th | 100th | 78th | 55th |
| High Plains | 96th | 99th | 73rd | 74th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 45% 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 Paragon Estates: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Louisville 2 mi · Superior 4 mi · Valmont 4 mi · Eldorado Springs 4 mi · Boulder 5 mi · Lafayette 5 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 Paragon Estates (39.9808, -105.1852); 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.