village in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Kaleva, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 35% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in spring (78th percentile) and lowest in summer (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.7 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 2.2 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 2.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Kaleva?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Kaleva, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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 77 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi SE, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 5 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 Kaleva
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Northeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.35 mi NW.
How Kaleva ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 62nd | 74th | 64th | 53rd |
| Michigan | 35th | 78th | 28th | 51st |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 19th | 90th | 11th | 11th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 77% 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 Kaleva: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Brethren 5 mi · Bear Lake 7 mi · Copemish 9 mi · Onekama 9 mi · Crystal Mountain 11 mi · Wellston 11 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 Kaleva (44.3723, -86.0136); 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.