village in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Grand Beach, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 66% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in spring (96th percentile) and lowest in summer (46th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.2 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.2 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.2 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Grand Beach?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 15 (soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Grand 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 33 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi SE, 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 Grand Beach
Mostly: Open water; North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest; North-Central Interior and Appalachian Rich Swamp.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.22 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.23 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 50% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Grand Beach ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 87th | 71st | 65th |
| Michigan | 66th | 96th | 46th | 70th |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 24th | 98th | 8th | 65th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 47% 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 Grand Beach: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Michiana 1 mi · New Buffalo 3 mi · Three Oaks 9 mi · Shorewood-Tower Hills-Harbert 11 mi · New Troy 15 mi · Galien 15 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 Grand Beach (41.7746, -86.7884); 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.