community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Cochiti, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in fall (64th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cochiti?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Sep 15 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cochiti, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spotted and diffuse knapweed; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi E, blooms late May – early Aug (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 Cochiti
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.25 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi E.
How Cochiti ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 40th | 62nd | 38th | 72nd |
| New Mexico | 94th | 91st | 79th | 64th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 96th | 98th | 90th | 58th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Cochiti: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cochiti Lake 3 mi · Peña Blanca 3 mi · Santo Domingo Pueblo 6 mi · La Bajada 7 mi · San Felipe Pueblo 12 mi · La Cienega 13 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 Cochiti (35.6104, -106.3501); 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.