village in Michigan

Honey bee forage in Eagle, Michigan

Estimated forage here is better than about 90% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in summer (87th percentile) and lowest in spring (32nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi S).

When is the honey flow in Eagle?

  • First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans, alfalfa)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Eagle, 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 10.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
  • Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): soybeans, 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

  • Soybeans: about 503 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 258 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NE, 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 Eagle

Mostly: North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest; Corn; Soybeans.

Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.48 mi E.

How Eagle ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US89th55th91st59th
Michigan90th32nd87th60th
Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains79th46th70th53rd

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 36% 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 Eagle: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Grand Ledge 5 mi · Wacousta 5 mi · Mulliken 6 mi · Portland 7 mi · Westphalia 8 mi · Waverly 9 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 Eagle (42.8098, -84.7909); 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.