community in Wyoming
Honey bee forage in Bessemer Bend, Wyoming
Estimated forage here is better than about 86% of sites in Wyoming. Against other Wyoming sites it stands out most in spring (96th percentile) and lowest in fall (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi NE); corn (nearest 2.1 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bessemer Bend?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bessemer Bend, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra 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
- Alfalfa: about 66 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 5 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 Bessemer Bend
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.2 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.21 mi W.
How Bessemer Bend ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 40th | 37th | 63rd | 84th |
| Wyoming | 86th | 96th | 76th | 45th |
| Wyoming Basin | 95th | 98th | 91st | 60th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 33% 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 Bessemer Bend: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Red Butte 5 mi · Vista West 8 mi · Mills 9 mi · Mountain View 10 mi · Casper Mountain 11 mi · Casper 12 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 Bessemer Bend (42.7561, -106.5175); 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.