city in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Pueblo, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 45% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in fall (21st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.9 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); pumpkins (nearest 2.9 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 3.1 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Pueblo?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Sep 15 (garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Pueblo, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; 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 39 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.2 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 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 Pueblo
Mostly: Developed, medium intensity; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.18 mi SW; open water 0.18 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 94% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Pumpkins: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2024); Squash: insecticides used on about 71% 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 Pueblo ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 33rd | 54th | 49th | 55th |
| Colorado | 45th | 91st | 31st | 21st |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 55th | 55th | 82nd | 21st |
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 Pueblo: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Salt Creek 2 mi · Blende 3 mi · Vineland 8 mi · Pueblo West 10 mi · Avondale 14 mi · Boone 19 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 Pueblo (38.2692, -104.6108); 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.