town in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Bernalillo, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (38th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); grapes (nearest 3.1 mi NE).
When is the honey flow in Bernalillo?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bernalillo, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), green/yellow rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SW, blooms late May – early Aug (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 Bernalillo
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 72% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Bernalillo ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 71st | 89th | 55th | 54th |
| New Mexico | 99th | 100th | 95th | 38th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 98th | 100th | 96th | 30th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 34% 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 Bernalillo: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Santa Ana Pueblo 4 mi · Pueblo of Sandia Village 4 mi · Algodones 5 mi · Placitas 6 mi · Corrales 7 mi · Edith Enclave 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 Bernalillo (35.3124, -106.5541); 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.