city in Kentucky
Honey bee forage in Milton, Kentucky
Estimated forage here is better than about 64% of sites in Kentucky. Against other Kentucky sites it stands out most in summer (79th percentile) and lowest in spring (11th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Milton?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Milton, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra 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
- Soybeans: about 137 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 36 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Milton
Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.18 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.34 mi N.
How Milton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 73rd | 80th | 33rd |
| Kentucky | 64th | 11th | 79th | 46th |
| Interior Plateau | 60th | 6th | 84th | 48th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 47% 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 Milton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bedford 9 mi · Prestonville 10 mi · Carrollton 12 mi · Campbellsburg 16 mi · Westport 17 mi · Ghent 17 mi
All towns in Kentucky · 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 Milton (38.7223, -85.3803); 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.