community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Peñasco, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in summer (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (72nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.7 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Peñasco?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Sep 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Peñasco, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, rabbitbrush; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra 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 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Sep (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 Peñasco
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi NE.
How Peñasco ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 60th | 57th | 72nd | 76th |
| New Mexico | 99th | 86th | 98th | 72nd |
| Southern Rockies | 87th | 100th | 64th | 58th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 59% 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 Peñasco: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Vadito 2 mi · Rio Lucio 2 mi · Picuris Pueblo 3 mi · Chamisal 3 mi · Ojo Sarco 6 mi · Dixon 11 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 Peñasco (36.1703, -105.6907); 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.