community in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Spring Arbor, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 75% of sites in Michigan. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Michigan sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Spring Arbor?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Spring Arbor, 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 9.
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, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 167 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 285 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 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 Spring Arbor
Mostly: North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest; North-Central Interior and Appalachian Rich Swamp; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.26 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.31 mi N.
How Spring Arbor ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 71st | 84th | 63rd |
| Michigan | 75th | 69th | 72nd | 68th |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 42nd | 78th | 36th | 62nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 43% 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 Spring Arbor: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Parma 4 mi · Concord 5 mi · Hanover 7 mi · Jackson 8 mi · Vandercook Lake 9 mi · Albion 11 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 Spring Arbor (42.2068, -84.5549); 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.