village in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Metamora, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 50% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in fall (73rd percentile) and lowest in summer (53rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.9 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Metamora?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Metamora, 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), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, 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, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans; 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 59 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 92 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Aug (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 Metamora
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.15 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.34 mi NW.
How Metamora ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 71st | 73rd | 67th |
| Michigan | 50th | 70th | 53rd | 73rd |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 10th | 78th | 11th | 69th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 70% 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 Metamora: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lapeer 7 mi · Dryden 9 mi · Attica 9 mi · Oxford 9 mi · Leonard 9 mi · Ortonville 10 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 Metamora (42.9455, -83.293); 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.