city in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Reading, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in summer (93rd percentile) and lowest in spring (27th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Reading?
- 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: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Reading, 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 10.
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
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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 4,767 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 4,242 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, 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 Reading
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans; North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.52 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.56 mi NE.
How Reading ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 91st | 50th | 92nd | 44th |
| Michigan | 94th | 27th | 93rd | 40th |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 88th | 38th | 81st | 28th |
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 Reading: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cambria 5 mi · Montgomery 5 mi · Camden 6 mi · Allen 8 mi · Hillsdale 8 mi · Quincy 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 Reading (41.8396, -84.7478); 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.