town in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Taos, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in New Mexico. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other New Mexico sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Taos?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Sep 30 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Taos, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, 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 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi E, blooms late Jun – early Sep (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 Taos
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.22 mi S; open water 0.54 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 70% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Taos ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 68th | 74th | 88th |
| New Mexico | 99th | 94th | 99th | 95th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 99th | 99th | 98th | 90th |
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 Taos: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ranchos de Taos 2 mi · Talpa 3 mi · Taos Pueblo 6 mi · Arroyo Seco 9 mi · Arroyo Hondo 11 mi · Vadito 14 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 Taos (36.3871, -105.5808); 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.