community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Rancho Grande, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 39% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in spring (56th percentile) and lowest in fall (22nd). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), less than 0.1 mi away.
When is the honey flow in Rancho Grande?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, native wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15 (summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rancho Grande, 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 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, rabbitbrush, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; dark amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-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
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Rancho Grande
Mostly: Madrean Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.13 mi NE.
How Rancho Grande ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 12th | 42nd | 21st | 40th |
| New Mexico | 39th | 56th | 39th | 22nd |
| Arizona/New Mexico Mountains | 54th | 63rd | 49th | 56th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 90% 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 Rancho Grande: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lower Frisco 5 mi · Rivers 5 mi · Middle Frisco 5 mi · Reserve 6 mi · Luna 11 mi · Cruzville 14 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 Rancho Grande (33.682, -108.8582); 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.