village in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Saranac, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 75% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in fall (81st percentile) and lowest in summer (69th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi SE).
When is the honey flow in Saranac?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Saranac, 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): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, alfalfa; extra 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 1,612 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1,868 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 133 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi SE, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 5 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 Saranac
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.18 mi SW.
How Saranac ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 75th | 82nd | 72nd |
| Michigan | 75th | 79th | 69th | 81st |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 43rd | 86th | 31st | 79th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 52% 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 Saranac: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Clarksville 6 mi · Lowell 7 mi · Ionia 8 mi · Lake Odessa 11 mi · Belding 12 mi · Freeport 13 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 Saranac (42.9273, -85.2095); 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.