village in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Estral Beach, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in summer (73rd percentile) and lowest in spring (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi W); corn (nearest 0.9 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.8 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Estral Beach?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Estral Beach, 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 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
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 2,404 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late 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 Estral Beach
Mostly: Open water; Soybeans; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.14 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.21 mi SE.
How Estral Beach ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 60th | 85th | 60th |
| Michigan | 68th | 43rd | 73rd | 62nd |
| Huron/Erie Lake Plains | 18th | 78th | 23rd | 48th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 31% 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 Estral Beach: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Stony Point 3 mi · Woodland Beach 5 mi · South Rockwood 5 mi · Rockwood 6 mi · Detroit Beach 6 mi · Flat Rock 8 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 Estral Beach (41.986, -83.2359); 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.