community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Torreon, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 63% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in summer (72nd percentile) and lowest in fall (54th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 1.8 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.8 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Torreon?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Sep 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), green/yellow rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Torreon, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), green/yellow rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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
- Sorghum: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi SE, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi SE, blooms early Jul – 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 Torreon
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi NE.
How Torreon ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 22nd | 48th | 35th | 65th |
| New Mexico | 63rd | 68th | 72nd | 54th |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 12th | 36th | 41st | 31st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 72% 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 Torreon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Tajique 2 mi · Manzano 7 mi · Punta de Agua 8 mi · Chilili 13 mi · Mountainair 14 mi · Estancia 15 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 Torreon (34.7242, -106.3008); 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.