community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in San Mateo, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 47% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in fall (68th percentile) and lowest in spring (38th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.13 mi NE.
When is the honey flow in San Mateo?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, weedy mustards, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Sep 30, peaking early May (native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Oct 16 to Oct 31 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, asters)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of San Mateo, 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 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): green/yellow rabbitbrush, asters, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, asters, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, native wildflowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 San Mateo
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi S.
How San Mateo ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 14th | 30th | 32nd | 74th |
| New Mexico | 47th | 38th | 65th | 68th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 76th | 70th | 82nd | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 55% 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 San Mateo: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lobo Canyon 9 mi · Broadview 15 mi · Grants 16 mi · San Fidel 17 mi · Haystack 17 mi · Milan 17 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 San Mateo (35.3381, -107.6461); 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.