village in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Sparta, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 69% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in fall (83rd percentile) and lowest in summer (65th). Biggest nearby bee crops: apples (nearest 0.8 mi W); corn (nearest 0.8 mi N); alfalfa (nearest 1.2 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sparta?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sparta, 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, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), apples; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, soybeans; 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
- Apples: about 153 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi SW, blooms early May – late May
- Corn: about 594 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Aug (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 Sparta
Mostly: Apples; North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.25 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.28 mi S.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 65% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Apples: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025). 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 Sparta ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 74th | 79th | 74th |
| Michigan | 69th | 76th | 65th | 83rd |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 30th | 84th | 25th | 82nd |
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 Sparta: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kent City 5 mi · Casnovia 6 mi · Comstock Park 8 mi · Rockford 8 mi · Cedar Springs 9 mi · Northview 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 Sparta (43.1567, -85.711); 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.