village in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Los Lunas, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 41% of sites in New Mexico. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other New Mexico sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.9 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.9 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Los Lunas?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Oct 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Los Lunas, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, 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, green/yellow rabbitbrush, garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 23 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.2 mi E, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi E, blooms late 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 Lunas
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) 0.61 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 1.38 mi SE.
How Los Lunas ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 12th | 36th | 25th | 59th |
| New Mexico | 41st | 47th | 48th | 44th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 65th | 80th | 63rd | 36th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 78% 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 Lunas: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Belen 3 mi · Los Chaves 5 mi · El Cerro 5 mi · Tome 6 mi · Valencia 6 mi · Peralta 6 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 Lunas (34.8009, -106.7887); 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.