town in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Kirtland, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in spring and summer (92nd percentile) and lowest in fall (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.0 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 1.4 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Kirtland?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Sep 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Kirtland, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Corn: about 48 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 4 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 Kirtland
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock Canyon and Tableland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.27 mi NW; open water 0.28 mi NW.
How Kirtland ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 44th | 63rd | 49th | 60th |
| New Mexico | 96th | 92nd | 92nd | 45th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 96th | 98th | 95th | 38th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 57% 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 Kirtland: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fruitland 2 mi · Nenahnezad 4 mi · Upper Fruitland 4 mi · Ojo Amarillo 4 mi · Waterflow 6 mi · Totah Vista 10 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 Kirtland (36.7589, -108.3675); 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.