community in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Wacousta, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 87% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in summer (82nd percentile) and lowest in spring (53rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 0.8 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Wacousta?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Wacousta, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 814 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 728 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 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 Wacousta
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.12 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.41 mi NW.
How Wacousta ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 64th | 89th | 60th |
| Michigan | 87th | 53rd | 82nd | 61st |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 72nd | 67th | 57th | 54th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 45% 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 Wacousta: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Eagle 5 mi · Grand Ledge 5 mi · DeWitt 6 mi · Waverly 6 mi · Edgemont Park 7 mi · Westphalia 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 Wacousta (42.8169, -84.691); 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.