community in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Beal City, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in summer (98th percentile) and lowest in spring (4th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Beal City?
- First forage: May 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Beal City, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), alfalfa; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
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 8,984 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2,866 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Aug (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 Beal City
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; Laurentian-Acadian Sub-boreal Aspen-Birch Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.34 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.56 mi SE.
How Beal City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 95th | 20th | 96th | 82nd |
| Michigan | 99th | 4th | 98th | 91st |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 98th | 5th | 96th | 93rd |
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 Beal City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Weidman 4 mi · Lake Isabella 5 mi · Rosebush 8 mi · Mount Pleasant 8 mi · Winn 10 mi · Farwell 12 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 Beal City (43.6672, -84.908); 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.