community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Rio Chiquito, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 45% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in summer (58th percentile) and lowest in fall (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.7 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Rio Chiquito?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, native wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking early May (spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Sep 30 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rio Chiquito, 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 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, asters; dark amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 1.7 mi S, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 4 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 Rio Chiquito
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.36 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.37 mi N.
How Rio Chiquito ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 14th | 37th | 28th | 61st |
| New Mexico | 45th | 48th | 58th | 47th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 72nd | 82nd | 75th | 40th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 68% 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 Rio Chiquito: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Chimayo 2 mi · Cundiyo 2 mi · Cordova 3 mi · La Puebla 5 mi · Truchas 6 mi · Cuartelez 6 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 Rio Chiquito (35.9949, -105.9069); 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.