village in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Merrill, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in fall (97th percentile) and lowest in spring (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); cucumbers (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Merrill?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Merrill, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, cucumbers; amber
- Fall honey (September to November): cucumbers, soybeans, dry Beans; amber
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, cucumbers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 3,981 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 9,490 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Cucumbers: about 235 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Oct (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 Merrill
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.29 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.39 mi NW.
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 Merrill ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 94th | 40th | 93rd | 97th |
| Michigan | 98th | 16th | 95th | 97th |
| Huron/Erie Lake Plains | 68th | 56th | 57th | 90th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Merrill: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hemlock 5 mi · Breckenridge 7 mi · St. Charles 12 mi · Shields 13 mi · Freeland 13 mi · St. Louis 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 Merrill (43.4091, -84.3345); 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.