community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Sullivan, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in spring (96th percentile) and lowest in fall (52nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); popcorn and ornamental corn (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sullivan?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Aug 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sullivan, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa; extra 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
- Corn: about 24 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 15 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Popcorn and ornamental corn: about 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi W, blooms late 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 Sullivan
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.03 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.03 mi SW.
How Sullivan ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 55th | 70th | 57th | 63rd |
| New Mexico | 98th | 96th | 95th | 52nd |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 97th | 99th | 96th | 45th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 47% 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 Sullivan: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Angustura 1 mi · Bloomfield 5 mi · Turley 7 mi · West Hammond 8 mi · Blanco 9 mi · Lee Acres 9 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 Sullivan (36.6962, -107.9036); 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.