community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in La Joya, 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 (95th percentile) and lowest in fall (26th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in La Joya?
- First forage: Jan 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to May 31, peaking early Apr (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Jul 15 (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of La Joya, 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 31.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Alfalfa: about 10 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi W, blooms late May – early Jul (grown 2 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 La Joya
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassland; Colorado Plateau Mixed Low Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.06 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.14 mi NW.
How La Joya ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 39th | 70th | 27th | 44th |
| New Mexico | 94th | 95th | 56th | 26th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 95th | 99th | 74th | 18th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 76% 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 La Joya: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
San Acacia 7 mi · Alamillo 8 mi · Abeytas 9 mi · Chamizal 10 mi · Las Nutrias 10 mi · Polvadera 11 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 La Joya (34.345, -106.8467); 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.