community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in El Rito, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 91% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in summer (97th percentile) and lowest in spring (44th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in El Rito?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jun (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of El Rito, 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 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, rabbitbrush; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, green/yellow rabbitbrush; extra 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 348 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early 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 El Rito
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.31 mi N.
How El Rito ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 34th | 35th | 64th | 65th |
| New Mexico | 91st | 44th | 97th | 53rd |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 94th | 77th | 97th | 46th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 34% 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 El Rito: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ojo Caliente 8 mi · La Madera 8 mi · Medanales 11 mi · Abiquiu 12 mi · Lyden 15 mi · Canova 15 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 El Rito (36.3326, -106.1741); 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.