community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Sheep Springs, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 14% of sites in New Mexico. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other New Mexico sites. Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.25 mi SE.
When is the honey flow in Sheep Springs?
- First forage: Mar 16 (native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking early May (native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spring-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Oct 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sheep Springs, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, rabbitbrush; amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), green/yellow rabbitbrush; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spring-flowering shrubs; light amber, likely to set over some months
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 Sheep Springs
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock Canyon and Tableland; Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.25 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.28 mi S.
How Sheep Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 6th | 23rd | 15th | 50th |
| New Mexico | 14th | 25th | 27th | 33rd |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 25th | 46th | 30th | 24th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 94% 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 Sheep Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Naschitti 7 mi · Newcomb 9 mi · Crystal 19 mi · Sanostee 21 mi · Tohatchi 22 mi · Brimhall Nizhoni 26 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 Sheep Springs (36.1592, -108.6905); 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.