town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Pierce, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 89% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in fall (68th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.5 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 0.6 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Pierce?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Pierce, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers; 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
- Corn: about 226 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi S, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 101 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Sep (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 Pierce
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.29 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.3 mi SW.
How Pierce ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 54th | 75th | 83rd |
| Colorado | 89th | 91st | 80th | 68th |
| High Plains | 86th | 71st | 75th | 84th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 60% 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 Pierce: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ault 5 mi · Nunn 5 mi · Eaton 9 mi · Severance 11 mi · Wellington 12 mi · Timnath 12 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 Pierce (40.6476, -104.7801); 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.