community in Wyoming
Honey bee forage in Owl Creek, Wyoming
Estimated forage here is better than about 28% of sites in Wyoming. Against other Wyoming sites it stands out most in spring (61st percentile) and lowest in summer (22nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.9 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Owl Creek?
- First forage: Mar 16 (weedy mustards, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 16 to Oct 15, peaking early Aug (native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Owl Creek, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, arrowleaf balsamroot, weedy mustards, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi N, blooms early Jul – early 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 Owl Creek
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Mat Saltbush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.23 mi W.
How Owl Creek ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 14th | 17th | 35th | 83rd |
| Wyoming | 28th | 61st | 22nd | 41st |
| Wyoming Basin | 53rd | 84th | 42nd | 55th |
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 Owl Creek: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kirby 19 mi · Lucerne 20 mi · Thermopolis 20 mi · East Thermopolis 21 mi · Meeteetse 29 mi · Worland 34 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 Owl Creek (43.7819, -108.5678); 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.