village in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Baroda, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 85% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in summer (82nd percentile) and lowest in spring (53rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); grapes (nearest 0.8 mi NW).
When is the honey flow in Baroda?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Baroda, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 114 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2,438 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NE, 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 Baroda
Mostly: Grapes; Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.18 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.22 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Grapes (all types): insecticides used on about 58% of surveyed US acres (2021); Grapes, wine type: insecticides used on about 56% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, table type: insecticides used on about 50% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, raisin type: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025); Apples: insecticides used on about 77% 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 Baroda ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 64th | 89th | 56th |
| Michigan | 85th | 53rd | 82nd | 56th |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 69th | 66th | 56th | 47th |
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 Baroda: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bridgman 4 mi · Stevensville 5 mi · New Troy 6 mi · Shoreham 7 mi · Berrien Springs 8 mi · Shorewood-Tower Hills-Harbert 8 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 Baroda (41.954, -86.488); 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.