city in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Harrisville, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 29% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in fall (83rd percentile) and lowest in spring (34th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.0 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.3 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 2.0 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Harrisville?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Sep 15 (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Harrisville, 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 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, alfalfa, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, garden flowers; extra 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), summer-flowering shrubs; 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
- Corn: about 350 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 227 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.2 mi W, blooms early Jul – late Sep (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 75 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.3 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Dry beans: about 40 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.1 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Sep (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 Harrisville
Mostly: Open water; Laurentian-Acadian Sub-boreal Aspen-Birch Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Pine-(Oak) Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.16 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi N.
How Harrisville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 55th | 71st | 74th |
| Michigan | 29th | 34th | 46th | 83rd |
| Northern Lakes and Forests | 49th | 25th | 76th | 94th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 55% 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 Harrisville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lincoln 6 mi · Lost Lake Woods 12 mi · Oscoda 16 mi · Hubbard Lake 17 mi · Au Sable 17 mi · Ossineke 19 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 Harrisville (44.6575, -83.2946); 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.