town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Vilas, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 77% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in fall (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.8 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Vilas?
- First forage: Mar 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Vilas, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Sorghum: about 352 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 81 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Vilas
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Winter Wheat; Fallow / idle cropland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.19 mi W; open water 0.5 mi N.
How Vilas ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 51st | 57th | 67th | 51st |
| Colorado | 77th | 94th | 61st | 16th |
| High Plains | 69th | 80th | 54th | 39th |
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 Vilas: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Walsh 9 mi · Springfield 10 mi · Two Buttes 13 mi · Campo 20 mi · Pritchett 23 mi · Granada 48 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 Vilas (37.3737, -102.4474); 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.