city in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Galesburg, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in spring (80th percentile) and lowest in summer (65th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Galesburg?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Galesburg, 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 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- 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, soybeans, 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 23 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 216 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 53 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 4 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 Galesburg
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.24 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.39 mi S.
How Galesburg ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 76th | 79th | 63rd |
| Michigan | 68th | 80th | 65th | 67th |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 29th | 87th | 25th | 62nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 52% 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 Galesburg: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Augusta 5 mi · Comstock Northwest 5 mi · Climax 6 mi · Richland 6 mi · Eastwood 7 mi · South Gull Lake 7 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 Galesburg (42.2909, -85.4176); 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.