community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in La Plata, 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 summer (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (76th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sweet corn (nearest 1.0 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 2.0 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in La Plata?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Sep 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of La Plata, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush; 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 15 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NW, blooms late Jun – early 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 La Plata
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi S.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How La Plata ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 69th | 75th | 67th | 78th |
| New Mexico | 99th | 97th | 98th | 76th |
| Colorado Plateaus | 99th | 100th | 93rd | 95th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around La Plata: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Flora Vista 9 mi · Spencerville 9 mi · North Light Plant 9 mi · Farmington 10 mi · South River 11 mi · Crouch Mesa 12 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 Plata (36.8964, -108.2008); 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.