village in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Forestville, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 54% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in fall (97th percentile) and lowest in spring (26th). Biggest nearby bee crops: dry beans (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.6 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Forestville?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (dry Beans, alfalfa, soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Forestville, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): dry Beans, alfalfa, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): dry Beans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): dry Beans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); white, 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
- Dry beans: about 93 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi N, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 100 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SW, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 2 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 Forestville
Mostly: Open water; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi S.
How Forestville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 73rd | 49th | 79th | 97th |
| Michigan | 54th | 26th | 65th | 97th |
| Huron/Erie Lake Plains | 10th | 67th | 16th | 89th |
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 Forestville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Minden City 8 mi · Deckerville 11 mi · Harbor Beach 13 mi · Port Sanilac 16 mi · Carsonville 16 mi · Ubly 16 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 Forestville (43.6599, -82.6126); 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.