city in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Raton, 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 (77th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Raton?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Sep 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Raton, 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 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NW, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 2 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 Raton
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.2 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 62% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Raton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 66th | 70th | 67th | 79th |
| New Mexico | 99th | 95th | 98th | 77th |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 98th | 87th | 96th | 56th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 54% 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 Raton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Maxwell 24 mi · Capulin 26 mi · Folsom 29 mi · Des Moines 35 mi · Cimarron 37 mi · Springer 37 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 Raton (36.885, -104.4396); 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.