community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Middle Mesa, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 33% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in summer (57th percentile) and lowest in spring (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.5 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); millet (nearest 1.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Middle Mesa?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, native wildflowers, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Oct 31 (rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Middle Mesa, 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 May 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, rabbitbrush, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; 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 10 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 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 Middle Mesa
Mostly: Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.25 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.3 mi SW.
How Middle Mesa ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 11th | 24th | 28th | 61st |
| New Mexico | 33rd | 28th | 57th | 47th |
| Colorado Plateaus | 72nd | 79th | 71st | 73rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 69% 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 Middle Mesa: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
La Boca 6 mi · Navajo Dam 10 mi · Cedar Hill 21 mi · Blanco 21 mi · Turley 23 mi · Center Point 26 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 Middle Mesa (36.98, -107.5073); 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.