By KALEY CONNER

kconner@dailynews.net

The Ramada Convention Center will be abuzz with activity this weekend as local beekeepers from throughout the state converge in Hays for a biannual meeting.

About 100 members of the Kansas Honey Producers Association are expected to attend the educational and social event.

"The big emphasis this year is on basics, going back to basics and teaching some of the newer beekeepers the things they need to know to get started," said Greg Swob, a Hays resident and a member of the organization's board of directors. "There will be a few more advanced techniques."

Swob is a hobbyist beekeeper and has been producing honey off-and-on for more than 30 years. The hobby began as a college project for his brother, he said.

Today, the brothers have about 50 hives near Hays and in Rush County, and they are looking to expand, Swob said.

While beekeeping is especially popular in northeast Kansas, the hobby is starting to grow, Swob said, noting the association consists of rural and urban, hobbyist and industrial honey producers.

The event will begin at 8 a.m. Friday morning and continue all day Friday and Saturday, with a banquet planned Friday evening. Educational classes and meals will be at the Ramada, 3603 Vine.

All are welcome to attend, regardless of membership. An admission fee of $35 will apply.

Marion Ellis, an entomology professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will be the event's keynote speaker.

Besides basic beekeeping education, attendees will have the opportunity to learn how to make mead -- a type of wine produced from honey.

Honey isn't the only benefit of beekeeping, however. Swob said one in three food sources can be traced to pollinating insects, and beeswax is another product often sold for different purposes.

In fact, Swob -- and other beekeepers -- believe the benefits far outweigh the risk of an occasional sting.

"When I do a talk on bees, my goal is ... I hope people embrace the bee when I'm finished," Swob said.

For information about the group, visit www.kansashoneyproducers.org or e-mail swob@eaglecom.net.