community in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Brethren, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 15% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in spring (52nd percentile) and lowest in summer (12th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.3 mi N); corn (nearest 1.2 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 2.2 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Brethren?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Brethren, 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), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; 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 26 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi N, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 38 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 5 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 Brethren
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Oak Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.18 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.18 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cherries, sweet: insecticides used on about 84% of surveyed US acres (2025); Cherries, tart: insecticides used on about 45% 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 Brethren ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 44th | 64th | 55th | 42nd |
| Michigan | 15th | 52nd | 12th | 36th |
| Northern Lakes and Forests | 27th | 42nd | 22nd | 60th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 84% 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 Brethren: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kaleva 5 mi · Wellston 6 mi · Onekama 10 mi · Bear Lake 10 mi · Copemish 13 mi · Parkdale 13 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 Brethren (44.3048, -86.0167); 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.