city in Georgia
Honey bee forage in Barnesville, Georgia
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in Georgia. Against other Georgia sites it stands out most in spring (95th percentile) and lowest in fall (74th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 1.0 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.1 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Barnesville?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 15, peaking early Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 30 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Barnesville, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Cotton: about 20 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi S, blooms late Apr – 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 Barnesville
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.06 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 68% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- 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 Barnesville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 94th | 34th | 21st |
| Georgia | 94th | 95th | 76th | 74th |
| Piedmont | 88th | 89th | 56th | 84th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 53% 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 Barnesville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Aldora 2 mi · Milner 5 mi · The Rock 8 mi · Meansville 9 mi · Yatesville 9 mi · Orchard Hill 10 mi
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 Barnesville (33.0487, -84.1493); 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.