city in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Belen, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 39% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in fall (53rd percentile) and lowest in summer (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.8 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 3.3 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Belen?
- First forage: Feb 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Sep 30, peaking early Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Oct 16 to Oct 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Belen, 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 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), rabbitbrush, native wildflowers; amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers, rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to set over some 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 34 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.3 mi E, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 2 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 Belen
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassland; Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Western Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.22 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 2.17 mi SE.
How Belen ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 12th | 36th | 21st | 64th |
| New Mexico | 39th | 46th | 39th | 53rd |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 62nd | 79th | 50th | 46th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 93% 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 Belen: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Los Lunas 3 mi · Los Chaves 4 mi · Tome 5 mi · Adelino 6 mi · El Cerro 6 mi · Sausal 7 mi
All towns in New Mexico · 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 Belen (34.7666, -106.8085); 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.