village in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Boyne Falls, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 43% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in spring (70th percentile) and lowest in summer (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); clover and wildflowers (nearest 3.2 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Boyne Falls?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Boyne Falls, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Alfalfa: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Clover and wildflowers: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi S, blooms late May – early Oct (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 Boyne Falls
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp; Northern & Central Ruderal Meadow.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.12 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi W.
How Boyne Falls ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 67th | 71st | 70th | 63rd |
| Michigan | 43rd | 70th | 43rd | 68th |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 26th | 87th | 18th | 23rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 74% 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 Boyne Falls: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Boyne City 6 mi · Walloon Lake 7 mi · Advance 9 mi · East Jordan 11 mi · Horton Bay 11 mi · Vanderbilt 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 Boyne Falls (45.1681, -84.9135); 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.