community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Thoreau, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 74% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in summer (93rd percentile) and lowest in spring (50th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.66 mi W.
When is the honey flow in Thoreau?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, weedy mustards, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 30, peaking late May (summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Fall flow: Oct 16 to Oct 31 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Thoreau, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, weedy mustards, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), yellow starthistle; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rubber rabbitbrush, asters; amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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
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 Thoreau
Mostly: Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.66 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.68 mi W.
How Thoreau ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 27th | 38th | 50th | 80th |
| New Mexico | 74th | 50th | 93rd | 79th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 93rd | 83rd | 95th | 77th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 50% 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 Thoreau: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bluewater 7 mi · Continental Divide 7 mi · Prewitt 8 mi · Red Rock Ranch 10 mi · Homer C Jones 10 mi · Stoneridge 10 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 Thoreau (35.4235, -108.2001); 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.