community in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Bay Port, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 60% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in fall (96th percentile) and lowest in spring (26th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bay Port?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (dry Beans, soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bay Port, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, dry Beans, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; water white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): dry Beans, soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), cucumbers; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): dry Beans, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red; white, 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 102 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Dry beans: about 1,084 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi S, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 62 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi E, blooms late Jul – late 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 Bay Port
Mostly: Open water; Northern Great Lakes Coastal Marsh; North-Central Interior and Appalachian Rich Swamp.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; open water 0.15 mi SE.
How Bay Port ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 49th | 82nd | 95th |
| Michigan | 60th | 26th | 69th | 96th |
| Huron/Erie Lake Plains | 13th | 66th | 19th | 87th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 38% 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 Bay Port: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Pigeon 5 mi · Sebewaing 8 mi · Caseville 9 mi · Owendale 9 mi · Elkton 9 mi · Unionville 14 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 Bay Port (43.8371, -83.3689); 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.