town in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Clayton, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in summer (94th percentile) and lowest in fall (77th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.7 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 2.2 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 3.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Clayton?
- First forage: Feb 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), 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 Clayton, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; 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), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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
- Corn: about 249 acres in a typical year, nearest 3 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 24 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi N, blooms late Jun – 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 Clayton
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Great Plains Comanchian Ruderal Grassland; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.27 mi SE; open water 0.41 mi W.
How Clayton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 53rd | 65th | 55th | 79th |
| New Mexico | 98th | 93rd | 94th | 77th |
| High Plains | 73rd | 90th | 29th | 78th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 79% 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 Clayton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Grenville 28 mi · Des Moines 44 mi · Folsom 51 mi · Capulin 52 mi · Nara Visa 58 mi · Mosquero 65 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 Clayton (36.446, -103.1489); 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.