community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Isleta, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.8 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 2.0 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Isleta?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Isleta, 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 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra 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
- Alfalfa: about 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi NE, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi S, blooms early Jun – early 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 Isleta
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassland; Western Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi SW.
How Isleta ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 73rd | 94th | 51st | 37th |
| New Mexico | 99th | 100th | 93rd | 19th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 98th | 100th | 95th | 13th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 69% 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 Isleta: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Chical 3 mi · Bosque Farms 4 mi · Peralta 5 mi · Pajarito Mesa 7 mi · Valencia 7 mi · South Valley 7 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 Isleta (34.9043, -106.699); 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.