community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Lake Valley, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 5% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it ranks highest in fall (27th percentile) and lowest in spring (9th). Expect a dearth in late Jul.
When is the honey flow in Lake Valley?
- First forage: Mar 16 (native wildflowers, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking early May (native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Dearth: Jul 16 to Jul 31
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Oct 31 (rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lake Valley, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, native wildflowers, asters, green/yellow rabbitbrush; amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, asters; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush; amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Lake Valley
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock Canyon and Tableland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi NE.
How Lake Valley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 4th | 15th | 10th | 45th |
| New Mexico | 5th | 9th | 17th | 27th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 11th | 14th | 17th | 19th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 85% 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 Lake Valley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Becenti 19 mi · Crownpoint 25 mi · Nageezi 25 mi · Naschitti 29 mi · Sheep Springs 30 mi · Pueblo Pintado 32 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 Lake Valley (36.0901, -108.1642); 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.