community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Los Chaves, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 100% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (11th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Los Chaves?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Los Chaves, 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 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spotted and diffuse knapweed, rabbitbrush; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra 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 14 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 21 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Los Chaves
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassland; Western Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi NE.
How Los Chaves ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 97th | 66th | 25th |
| New Mexico | 100th | 100th | 98th | 11th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 100th | 100th | 97th | 8th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 58% 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 Chaves: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Tome 2 mi · Adelino 3 mi · Belen 4 mi · Sausal 4 mi · Los Lunas 5 mi · El Cerro 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 Los Chaves (34.7335, -106.7611); 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.