community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Dixon, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 14% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it ranks highest in fall (37th percentile) and lowest in spring (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.5 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Dixon?
- First forage: Mar 16 (native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Oct 31 (rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Dixon, 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 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, native wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs, green/yellow rabbitbrush; amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, asters; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush; amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 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 Dixon
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 1.09 mi N.
How Dixon ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 6th | 19th | 17th | 53rd |
| New Mexico | 14th | 16th | 31st | 37th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 25th | 28th | 37th | 28th |
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 Dixon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Velarde 4 mi · Canova 6 mi · Ojo Sarco 7 mi · Lyden 7 mi · Chamisal 8 mi · Los Luceros 9 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 Dixon (36.1796, -105.891); 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.