city in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Douglas, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 59% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in spring (86th percentile) and lowest in summer (49th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.8 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.8 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); blueberries (nearest 0.3 mi W).
When is the honey flow in Douglas?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Douglas, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; 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 367 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 464 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Blueberries: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, blooms late Apr – late May
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 Douglas
Mostly: Open water; North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns).
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.18 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi E.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 60% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Blueberries: insecticides used on about 74% 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 Douglas ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 78th | 72nd | 75th |
| Michigan | 59th | 86th | 49th | 84th |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 17th | 91st | 9th | 84th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 38% 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 Douglas: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Saugatuck 2 mi · Fennville 6 mi · Holland 10 mi · Beechwood 12 mi · Zeeland 16 mi · South Haven 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 Douglas (42.6389, -86.2076); 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.