community in Wyoming
Honey bee forage in Hillsdale, Wyoming
Estimated forage here is better than about 100% of sites in Wyoming. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Wyoming sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hillsdale?
- First forage: Apr 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Aug (sunflower, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hillsdale, 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 17.
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): sunflower, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, sunflower; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): sunflower, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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
- Sunflower: about 47 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 241 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 74 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi S, blooms late Jul – late Sep (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 Hillsdale
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Fallow / idle cropland; Central Mixedgrass Prairie Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi SE; pond, lake or river 1.31 mi SE.
How Hillsdale ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 38th | 88th | 97th |
| Wyoming | 100th | 97th | 100th | 94th |
| High Plains | 98th | 28th | 95th | 100th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 46% 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 Hillsdale: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Burns 6 mi · Carpenter 13 mi · Ranchettes 16 mi · Fox Farm-College 18 mi · Cheyenne 18 mi · South Greeley 19 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 Hillsdale (41.208, -104.4744); 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.