community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Costilla, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 92% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in fall (98th percentile) and lowest in spring (44th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Costilla?
- First forage: Mar 16 (weedy mustards, dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (native wildflowers, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, yellow starthistle)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Costilla, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, weedy mustards; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few 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 75 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms late Jul – late 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 Costilla
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.16 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi NE.
How Costilla ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 36th | 34th | 59th | 90th |
| New Mexico | 92nd | 44th | 96th | 98th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 95th | 77th | 96th | 93rd |
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 Costilla: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Questa 19 mi · Red River 20 mi · San Cristobal 26 mi · Taos Ski Valley 27 mi · Arroyo Hondo 32 mi · Arroyo Seco 32 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 Costilla (36.9785, -105.5353); 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.