town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Wiley, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 100% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in summer (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (3rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 0.5 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Wiley?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Wiley, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), sunflower; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, 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 3,793 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 67 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 98 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi N, 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 Wiley
Mostly: Alfalfa; Fallow / idle cropland; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi E; open water 0.35 mi SE.
How Wiley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 89th | 57th | 91st | 28th |
| Colorado | 100th | 94th | 100th | 3rd |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 100th | 64th | 100th | 9th |
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 Wiley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
McClave 7 mi · Lamar 8 mi · Hasty 14 mi · Eads 23 mi · Granada 23 mi · Brandon 25 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 Wiley (38.1548, -102.7189); 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.