community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Las Maravillas, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in spring (83rd percentile) and lowest in fall (52nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.3 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Las Maravillas?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Las Maravillas, 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush, garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 43 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi NW, blooms late May – late Jul (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 Las Maravillas
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassland; Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Western Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.43 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.46 mi SE.
How Las Maravillas ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 24th | 55th | 32nd | 64th |
| New Mexico | 68th | 83rd | 67th | 52nd |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 92nd | 96th | 83rd | 45th |
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 Las Maravillas: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Monterey Park 1 mi · El Cerro Mission 3 mi · Tome 3 mi · El Cerro 4 mi · Adelino 4 mi · Valencia 5 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 Las Maravillas (34.7349, -106.665); 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.