community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Pueblo, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 43% of sites in New Mexico. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other New Mexico sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Pueblo?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spring-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Sep 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Pueblo, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spring-flowering shrubs, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), rabbitbrush; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spring-flowering shrubs; 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 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 5 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 Pueblo
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Juniper Woodland and Savanna; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.33 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.36 mi E.
How Pueblo ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 13th | 40th | 23rd | 59th |
| New Mexico | 43rd | 52nd | 45th | 43rd |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 3rd | 9th | 17th | 24th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 82% 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 Pueblo: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sena 3 mi · Ribera 3 mi · San Jose 5 mi · Villanueva 6 mi · Soham 7 mi · Tecolote 13 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 Pueblo (35.3272, -105.4354); 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.