community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Upper Fruitland, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.6 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 0.5 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Upper Fruitland?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Upper Fruitland, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra 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
- Corn: about 67 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Dry beans: about 28 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 30 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 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 Upper Fruitland
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi N.
How Upper Fruitland ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 68th | 79th | 66th | 61st |
| New Mexico | 99th | 99th | 98th | 47th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 98th | 99th | 97th | 40th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 41% 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 Upper Fruitland: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ojo Amarillo 3 mi · Kirtland 4 mi · Fruitland 4 mi · Nenahnezad 6 mi · Totah Vista 6 mi · Napi Headquarters 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 Upper Fruitland (36.72, -108.3215); 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.