village in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Allen, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 92% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in summer (93rd percentile) and lowest in spring (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Allen?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Allen, 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 May 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 2,462 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1,769 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 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 Allen
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; North-Central Interior and Appalachian Rich Swamp.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.22 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.74 mi S.
How Allen ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 89th | 44th | 93rd | 37th |
| Michigan | 92nd | 20th | 93rd | 30th |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 83rd | 29th | 81st | 19th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 31% 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 Allen: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Jonesville 5 mi · Litchfield 6 mi · Quincy 6 mi · Hillsdale 7 mi · Reading 8 mi · Cambria 11 mi
All towns in Michigan · 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 Allen (41.9579, -84.7684); 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.