community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Sausal, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 100% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sausal?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 30, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sausal, 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 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spotted and diffuse knapweed, rabbitbrush; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, garden flowers; extra 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 44 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NE, blooms late May – late Jul (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 Sausal
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassland; Western Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.24 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi W.
How Sausal ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 95th | 64th | 28th |
| New Mexico | 100th | 100th | 97th | 13th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 99th | 100th | 97th | 10th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 48% 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 Sausal: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Adelino 2 mi · Rio Communities 3 mi · Los Chaves 4 mi · Jarales 4 mi · Tome 4 mi · Pueblitos 5 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 Sausal (34.6803, -106.7589); 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.