community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Los Alamos, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in summer (96th percentile) and lowest in fall (46th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.2 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Los Alamos?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 31 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Los Alamos, 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 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, garden flowers; 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 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi E, blooms early Jun – late 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 Los Alamos
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.32 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 59% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Los Alamos ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 55th | 68th | 62nd | 61st |
| New Mexico | 98th | 94th | 96th | 46th |
| Southern Rockies | 84th | 100th | 40th | 33rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 55% 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 Los Alamos: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
White Rock 7 mi · San Ildefonso Pueblo 9 mi · El Rancho 11 mi · Santa Clara Pueblo 12 mi · Jaconita 13 mi · La Mesilla 13 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 Los Alamos (35.894, -106.29); 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.