community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Radium Springs, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 61% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in spring (84th percentile) and lowest in fall (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Radium Springs?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 31, peaking late Mar (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Jul 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), cotton, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Radium Springs, 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 Mar 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush, garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; extra 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
- Cotton: about 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 9 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi S, blooms early May – late Jun (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 Radium Springs
Mostly: Chihuahuan Mixed Desert and Thornscrub; Chihuahuan Creosotebush Desert Scrub; Apacherian-Chihuahuan Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Radium Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 21st | 56th | 19th | 37th |
| New Mexico | 61st | 84th | 34th | 19th |
| Chihuahuan Deserts | 74th | 75th | 88th | 27th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 63% 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 Radium Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Doña Ana 8 mi · San Ysidro 10 mi · Picacho Hills 11 mi · Las Cruces 12 mi · Fairacres 13 mi · Mesilla 15 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 Radium Springs (32.4782, -106.9031); 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.