village in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Custer, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 66% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in fall (91st percentile) and lowest in spring (46th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Custer?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Custer, 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 17.
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, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, squash, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Alfalfa: about 66 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 99 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 44 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, 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 Custer
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.13 mi E.
How Custer ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 61st | 82nd | 82nd |
| Michigan | 66th | 46th | 69th | 91st |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 26th | 60th | 30th | 93rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 52% 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 Custer: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Scottville 3 mi · Fountain 7 mi · Free Soil 11 mi · Ludington 11 mi · Pentwater 16 mi · Walkerville 17 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 Custer (43.9511, -86.2195); 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.