community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Sundance, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 45% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in fall (76th percentile) and lowest in spring (33rd). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), less than 0.1 mi away.
When is the honey flow in Sundance?
- First forage: Mar 1 (weedy mustards, dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Oct 31, peaking early May (native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sundance, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, weedy mustards, arrowleaf balsamroot, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, asters, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, weedy mustards; 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 Sundance
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; 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) 0.09 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.79 mi W.
How Sundance ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 14th | 27th | 31st | 78th |
| New Mexico | 45th | 33rd | 63rd | 76th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 73rd | 61st | 80th | 72nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Sundance: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
White Cliffs 3 mi · Catalpa Canyon 5 mi · Church Rock 6 mi · Gallup 6 mi · Fort Wingate 6 mi · Gamerco 8 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 Sundance (35.5105, -108.6397); 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.