community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Malaga, 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 spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (6th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 0.5 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 1.0 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Malaga?
- First forage: Jan 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to May 31, peaking late Apr (summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa)
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Jun 30 (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), cotton)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Malaga, 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 Mar 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, summer-flowering shrubs; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few 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), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), alfalfa, summer-flowering shrubs; white, 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 498 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi N, blooms late Apr – early Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 83 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NE, 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 Malaga
Mostly: North American Warm Desert Ruderal & Planted Scrub; Chihuahuan Mixed Desert and Thornscrub; Apacherian-Chihuahuan Semi-Desert Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.15 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.45 mi N.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Malaga ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 55th | 84th | 31st | 17th |
| New Mexico | 98th | 99th | 65th | 6th |
| Chihuahuan Deserts | 99th | 97th | 97th | 9th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 73% 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 Malaga: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Loving 5 mi · Livingston Wheeler 14 mi · Carlsbad 16 mi · Whites City 18 mi · La Huerta 18 mi · Happy Valley 19 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 Malaga (32.2185, -104.0673); 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.