community in Maryland

Honey bee forage in Savage, Maryland

Estimated forage here is better than about 59% of sites in Maryland. Against other Maryland sites it stands out most in fall (92nd percentile) and lowest in summer (38th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.8 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sweet corn (nearest 1.9 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Savage?

  • First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Savage, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; 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

  • Corn: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
  • Sweet corn: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi W, blooms late Jun – late 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 Savage

Mostly: Developed, medium intensity; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns).

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.33 mi N.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 73% 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. Sweet Corn: insecticides used on about 44% of surveyed US acres (2024). 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 Savage ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US78th93rd64th61st
Maryland59th91st38th92nd
Southeastern Plains86th89th87th100th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

The national forage map around Savage: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

North Laurel 2 mi · Jessup 2 mi · Maryland City 3 mi · Scaggsville 3 mi · Laurel 4 mi · Columbia 4 mi

All towns in Maryland · 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 Savage (39.1465, -76.8216); 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.