village in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Buckley, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 39% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in fall (75th percentile) and lowest in summer (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.7 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 1.0 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Buckley?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (alfalfa, dry Beans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Buckley, 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 18.
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): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, dry Beans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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
- Corn: about 1,673 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Dry beans: about 79 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi N, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 156 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi N, blooms late Jun – early Sep (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 Buckley
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Sub-boreal Aspen-Birch Forest; Northeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.29 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.38 mi SW.
How Buckley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 65th | 72nd | 69th |
| Michigan | 39th | 56th | 47th | 75th |
| Northern Lakes and Forests | 64th | 45th | 76th | 91st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 66% 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 Buckley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mesick 7 mi · Kingsley 9 mi · Nessen City 10 mi · Grawn 11 mi · Interlochen 11 mi · Chums Corner 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 Buckley (44.5005, -85.6719); 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.