community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Paa-Ko, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 60% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in spring (73rd percentile) and lowest in fall (34th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.1 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Paa-Ko?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Aug 31 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Paa-Ko, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, rabbitbrush; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; 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 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi N, 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 Paa-Ko
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.3 mi N; open water 0.39 mi NE.
How Paa-Ko ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 20th | 51st | 33rd | 51st |
| New Mexico | 60th | 73rd | 70th | 34th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Mountains | 79th | 77th | 79th | 68th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 76% 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 Paa-Ko: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
La Madera 2 mi · Sandia Park 3 mi · San Antonito 3 mi · Sandia Knolls 3 mi · Cedar Crest 6 mi · Golden 8 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 Paa-Ko (35.1998, -106.3337); 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.