community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Sunshine, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 46% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in summer (65th percentile) and lowest in fall (16th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.21 mi E.
When is the honey flow in Sunshine?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sunshine, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, dandelion; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Sunshine
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.21 mi NE.
How Sunshine ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 33rd | 30th | 69th | 51st |
| Colorado | 46th | 44th | 65th | 16th |
| Southern Rockies | 55th | 78th | 57th | 20th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 83% 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 Sunshine: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Crisman 1 mi · Glendale 2 mi · Lazy Acres 2 mi · Gold Hill 3 mi · Mountain Meadows 3 mi · Seven Hills 3 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 Sunshine (40.0637, -105.3696); 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.