community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Indian Hills, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 77% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in summer (84th percentile) and lowest in spring (68th). Biggest nearby bee crops: millet (nearest 2.3 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 2.6 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.6 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Indian Hills?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Sep 15, peaking early May (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Indian Hills, 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 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; 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), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, 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
- Millet: about 31 acres in a typical year, nearest 3 mi NE, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Dry beans: about 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.8 mi SE, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi NE, blooms early Jul – late 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 Indian Hills
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.39 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.48 mi SW.
How Indian Hills ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 28th | 49th | 42nd | 77th |
| New Mexico | 77th | 68th | 84th | 74th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Mountains | 92nd | 74th | 91st | 93rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 75% 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 Indian Hills: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Manzano Springs 5 mi · Moriarty 6 mi · Chilili 8 mi · McIntosh 8 mi · Barton 9 mi · Thunder Mountain 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 Indian Hills (34.9832, -106.1398); 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.