village in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Lyons, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in summer (79th percentile) and lowest in spring (50th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 1.7 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lyons?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lyons, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 1,164 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 363 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 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 Lyons
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.09 mi NW.
How Lyons ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 85th | 63rd | 87th | 62nd |
| Michigan | 81st | 50th | 79th | 65th |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 55th | 65th | 49th | 59th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 43% 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 Lyons: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Muir 1 mi · Pewamo 5 mi · Ionia 7 mi · Westphalia 8 mi · Portland 8 mi · Palo 9 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 Lyons (42.9865, -84.9442); 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.