community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Pajarito Mesa, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 45% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in fall (59th percentile) and lowest in summer (44th). Biggest nearby bee crops: apples (nearest 3.6 mi E).
When is the honey flow in Pajarito Mesa?
- First forage: Feb 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking late Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Oct 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Pajarito 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 Apr 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, 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), rabbitbrush, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers, rabbitbrush; 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
- Apples: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi E, blooms early Apr – late Apr
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 Pajarito Mesa
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassland; Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.25 mi SE.
How Pajarito Mesa ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 14th | 39th | 22nd | 68th |
| New Mexico | 45th | 50th | 44th | 59th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 72nd | 84th | 57th | 52nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 89% 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 Pajarito Mesa: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
South Valley 6 mi · Isleta 7 mi · Bosque Farms 10 mi · Chical 10 mi · Albuquerque 12 mi · Peralta 12 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 Pajarito Mesa (34.9782, -106.7795); 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.