community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Chilili, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 38% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in summer (60th percentile) and lowest in fall (36th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 3.4 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Chilili?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early May (summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (rabbitbrush, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Chilili, 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 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion; 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
- Corn: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.4 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 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 Chilili
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.03 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.39 mi S.
How Chilili ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 12th | 31st | 29th | 52nd |
| New Mexico | 38th | 40th | 60th | 36th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Mountains | 53rd | 42nd | 69th | 70th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 85% 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 Chilili: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Manzano Springs 4 mi · Ponderosa Pine 8 mi · Indian Hills 8 mi · McIntosh 10 mi · Tajique 10 mi · Cedro 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 Chilili (34.8974, -106.2331); 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.