town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Saguache, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in Colorado. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Colorado sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Saguache?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Saguache, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, willows; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September 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
- 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 122 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SW, 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 Saguache
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi SW.
How Saguache ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 72nd | 54th | 78th | 96th |
| Colorado | 95th | 90th | 87th | 93rd |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 98th | 95th | 98th | 98th |
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 Saguache: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Moffat 14 mi · Bonanza 15 mi · Center 23 mi · Crestone 25 mi · Coaldale 26 mi · Hooper 28 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 Saguache (38.0863, -106.1411); 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.