community in Colorado

Honey bee forage in Pueblo West, Colorado

Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in summer (57th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.0 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.5 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Pueblo West?

  • First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
  • Fall flow: Jul 16 to Sep 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Season ends: Oct 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Pueblo West, 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 23.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 West

Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Open water; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi E; open water 0.48 mi E.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 51% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.

How Pueblo West ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US71st79th65th79th
Colorado94th99th57th60th
Southwestern Tablelands98th96th95th56th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 46% 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 Pueblo West: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Pueblo 10 mi · Salt Creek 12 mi · Blende 13 mi · Penrose 14 mi · Florence 18 mi · Vineland 18 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 West (38.3158, -104.785); 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.