community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Redvale, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 70% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in summer (72nd percentile) and lowest in fall (34th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Redvale?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Redvale, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, spring-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, rabbitbrush, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few 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 105 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Redvale
Mostly: Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.03 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.11 mi S.
How Redvale ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 47th | 41st | 72nd | 63rd |
| Colorado | 70th | 61st | 72nd | 34th |
| Colorado Plateaus | 95th | 95th | 95th | 78th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 48% 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 Redvale: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Norwood 7 mi · Naturita 9 mi · Nucla 10 mi · Placerville 23 mi · Sawpit 26 mi · Mountain Village 35 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 Redvale (38.1761, -108.4125); 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.