village in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Dora, 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 (87th percentile) and lowest in fall (56th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.9 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 1.3 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Dora?
- First forage: Feb 1 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking early Jun (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Dora, 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 Mar 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Sorghum: about 139 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi E, blooms late May – late Jun (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 Dora
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Great Plains Comanchian Ruderal Grassland; Winter Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.04 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi E.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Dora ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 41st | 58th | 44th | 66th |
| New Mexico | 94th | 87th | 86th | 56th |
| High Plains | 39th | 81st | 17th | 60th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 66% 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 Dora: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Causey 13 mi · Portales 17 mi · Elida 18 mi · Floyd 25 mi · Cannon AFB 32 mi · Texico 36 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 Dora (33.9259, -103.3385); 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.