town in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Tatum, 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 (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (71st). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 1.9 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.5 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 2.0 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Tatum?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 31, peaking late Mar (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Tatum, 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 Mar 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; 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), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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
- Cotton: about 229 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi W, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 21 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi W, blooms late May – late Jun (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 Tatum
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Western Great Plains Mesquite Shrubland; Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns).
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.37 mi SE; open water 0.77 mi E.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Tatum ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 59th | 76th | 40th | 75th |
| New Mexico | 98th | 98th | 81st | 71st |
| High Plains | 81st | 97th | 13th | 73rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 77% 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 Tatum: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lovington 22 mi · North Hobbs 35 mi · Hobbs 37 mi · Causey 44 mi · Monument 44 mi · Nadine 46 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 Tatum (33.2554, -103.3108); 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.