city in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Leslie, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in summer (84th percentile) and lowest in fall (71st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Leslie?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Leslie, 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 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; 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 2,353 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2,163 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Aug (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 Leslie
Mostly: Soybeans; North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.25 mi NE.
How Leslie ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 92nd | 75th | 90th | 66th |
| Michigan | 96th | 80th | 84th | 71st |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 92nd | 86th | 62nd | 66th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 34% 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 Leslie: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Mason 9 mi · Dansville 10 mi · Eaton Rapids 12 mi · Stockbridge 13 mi · Parma 14 mi · Holt 14 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 Leslie (42.4503, -84.4326); 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.