community in Wyoming
Honey bee forage in Alcova, Wyoming
Estimated forage here is better than about 22% of sites in Wyoming. Against other Wyoming sites it stands out most in spring (60th percentile) and lowest in fall (6th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.9 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 3.5 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Alcova?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, native wildflowers, arrowleaf balsamroot)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Jun (summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 31 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Alcova, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, native wildflowers, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, rubber rabbitbrush, summer-flowering shrubs; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush; 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
- Alfalfa: about 79 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 46 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.5 mi NE, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 4 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 Alcova
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Rocky Mountain Foothill Limber Pine-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.48 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.49 mi NE.
How Alcova ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 13th | 17th | 37th | 67th |
| Wyoming | 22nd | 60th | 25th | 6th |
| Wyoming Basin | 41st | 84th | 47th | 8th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 38% 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 Alcova: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bessemer Bend 18 mi · Red Butte 23 mi · Casper Mountain 25 mi · Vista West 26 mi · Mills 27 mi · Mountain View 28 mi
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 Alcova (42.5533, -106.7295); 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.