Hinton Apiaries

Visitors to the Hinton Apiaries booth will find what owner Jerry Hinton calls “a plethora of information” but no bees. 

“It’s too cold to take bees; we can’t really transport them when it’s too cold,” he said. “It’s usually into June before I start thinking about taking bees anywhere.” 

Talking to Home & Garden Show attendees gives Hinton a chance to do two things: encourage new beekeepers and educate the public about the importance of keeping pollinators like honeybees healthy. He said he has seen some increased interest in beekeeping during the pandemic, as well as an increase in the number of hives existing beekeepers maintain.  

It’s important, he said, for experienced beekeepers to mentor the “newbies.” 

“There are mentors galore out there,” he said. “Our goal is to keep the newbies going after year two. That’s when the majority of issues start to appear. If we can get them past year two or three, we’re fine.” 

In addition to honey made with pollen from 10 to 12 types of flowers, Hinton Apiaries, founded in 2010, also sells beeswax-based skincare products and soaps as well as polishes for wood and metal, “all dictated by Mother Nature.”