community in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Loomis, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in fall (67th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.8 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.9 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 1.2 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Loomis?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 31, peaking early May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Loomis, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, alfalfa, dry Beans, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), 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
- Soybeans: about 3,476 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 427 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi S, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Dry beans: about 229 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi S, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 4 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 Loomis
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp; North-Central Interior and Appalachian Rich Swamp; Laurentian-Acadian Sub-boreal Aspen-Birch Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi N.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cucumbers: insecticides used on about 36% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Loomis ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 84th | 82nd | 63rd |
| Michigan | 80th | 94th | 69th | 67th |
| Huron/Erie Lake Plains | 32nd | 97th | 19th | 52nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 69% 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 Loomis: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Coleman 4 mi · Clare 6 mi · Rosebush 8 mi · Beaverton 11 mi · Farwell 11 mi · Mount Pleasant 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 Loomis (43.784, -84.6584); 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.