community in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Eureka, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in summer (90th percentile) and lowest in spring (32nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Eureka?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Eureka, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans; 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): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 5,783 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 444 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms early Jul – early 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 Eureka
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; North-Central Interior Floodplain Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi N.
How Eureka ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 91st | 55th | 92nd | 61st |
| Michigan | 94th | 32nd | 90th | 63rd |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 88th | 46th | 76th | 57th |
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 Eureka: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ashley 6 mi · Elsie 6 mi · St. Johns 7 mi · Maple Rapids 9 mi · Ovid 10 mi · Perrinton 10 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 Eureka (43.1036, -84.5136); 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.