community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Black Hat, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 25% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in fall (58th percentile) and lowest in spring (19th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), less than 0.1 mi away.
When is the honey flow in Black Hat?
- First forage: Mar 16 (weedy mustards, dandelion, arrowleaf balsamroot)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Oct 31, peaking late May (native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Black Hat, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, weedy mustards, dandelion, arrowleaf balsamroot; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, asters; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, weedy mustards; 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
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Black Hat
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Quarries-Strip Mines-Gravel Pits-Well and Wind Pads; Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi N.
How Black Hat ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 9th | 20th | 21st | 68th |
| New Mexico | 25th | 19th | 41st | 58th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 40th | 34th | 52nd | 51st |
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 Black Hat: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Tse Bonito 3 mi · Rock Springs 7 mi · Yah-ta-hey 10 mi · Purty Rock 10 mi · Williams Acres 11 mi · Twin Lakes 11 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 Black Hat (35.6311, -108.9641); 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.