village in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Camden, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 86% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in summer (81st percentile) and lowest in fall (55th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi E); corn (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Camden?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (soybeans, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Camden, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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
- Soybeans: about 1,781 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 987 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 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 Camden
Mostly: North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest; Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.25 mi NW; open water 0.36 mi NE.
How Camden ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 70th | 88th | 55th |
| Michigan | 86th | 69th | 81st | 55th |
| Eastern Corn Belt Plains | 17th | 78th | 19th | 91st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 50% 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 Camden: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Montgomery 3 mi · Reading 6 mi · Cambria 6 mi · Hillsdale 13 mi · Allen 14 mi · Quincy 15 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 Camden (41.7549, -84.7562); 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.