community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Soham, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 36% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in spring (50th percentile) and lowest in fall (31st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Soham?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, native wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 15 (rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Soham, 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): spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), green/yellow rabbitbrush, dandelion; dark amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, dandelion, rabbitbrush; 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 2.1 mi SE, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 1 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 Soham
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Juniper Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi N.
How Soham ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 11th | 39th | 21st | 48th |
| New Mexico | 36th | 50th | 39th | 31st |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 2nd | 7th | 13th | 17th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 87% 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 Soham: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
San Jose 2 mi · Ribera 4 mi · North San Ysidro 6 mi · Pueblo 7 mi · Sena 10 mi · Rowe 11 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 Soham (35.4169, -105.4985); 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.