city in Georgia
Honey bee forage in Madison, Georgia
Estimated forage here is better than about 93% of sites in Georgia. Against other Georgia sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in fall (63rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.0 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 0.9 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.2 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Madison?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 15, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jul 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Madison, 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 14.
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, dandelion, garden flowers, cotton; 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; 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 36 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi W, blooms late May – early Jun (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 31 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NW, blooms late Apr – early Jul (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 Madison
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.27 mi E; open water 0.27 mi E.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 55% 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 Madison ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 94th | 37th | 15th |
| Georgia | 93rd | 94th | 80th | 63rd |
| Piedmont | 87th | 88th | 61st | 73rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 56% 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 Madison: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Buckhead 7 mi · Rutledge 8 mi · Godfrey 9 mi · Bostwick 11 mi · Newborn 13 mi · Shady Dale 14 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 Madison (33.579, -83.476); 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.