town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Ward, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in summer (81st percentile) and lowest in spring (35th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), less than 0.1 mi away.
When is the honey flow in Ward?
- First forage: Apr 1 (willows)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jun (huckleberries, snowberry, willows)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ward, 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 Jun 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, huckleberries, dandelion, native wildflowers; dark amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): huckleberries, snowberry, fireweed, willows; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fireweed, snowberry, huckleberries, native wildflowers; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): huckleberries, willows, snowberry, fireweed; 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
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 Ward
Mostly: Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest; Rocky Mountain Subalpine Dry-Mesic Spruce-Fir Forest and Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.19 mi W.
How Ward ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 45th | 22nd | 76th | 72nd |
| Colorado | 68th | 35th | 81st | 48th |
| Southern Rockies | 72nd | 62nd | 76th | 52nd |
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 Ward: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hidden Lake 3 mi · Bark Ranch 5 mi · Gold Hill 5 mi · St. Ann Highlands 7 mi · Sugarloaf 7 mi · Bonanza Mountain Estates 7 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 Ward (40.073, -105.5148); 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.