Honey bee forage in Lakes of the North, Michigan

When is the honey flow in Lakes of the North?

• First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
• Main flow: Apr 16 to Jun 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
• Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 15 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
• Season ends: Oct 15

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lakes of the North, 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 23.

What the honey is made of

• Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
• Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
• Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; 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

• Alfalfa: about 51 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
• Sorghum: about 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi SW, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
• Peas: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi SW, blooms late May – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
• Dry beans: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi SW, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 1 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 Lakes of the North

Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Sub-boreal Aspen-Birch Forest; Northeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation.

Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.83 mi E.

How Lakes of the North ranks

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 81% 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.

Nearby

Alba 5 mi · Mancelona 9 mi · Gaylord 12 mi · Manistee Lake 13 mi · Bear Lake 15 mi · Bellaire 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 Lakes of the North (44.93, -84.8851); 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.