Oakland Township beekeeper Buzz Swank stands with his beehives in March. Swank has been a beekeeper for 14 years and now loves helping beginners get started with their own hives. He says harvesting 50 to 80 pounds of honey is a good year, but he is always looking for more.

Butler County is filled with a variety of people doing interesting things. This weekly feature offers snapshots of some of them by asking five questions. The latest installment appears below.

Buzz Swank of Oakland Township has been called Buzz since he was 1 year old, but he’s only been a beekeeper for 14 years.

Swank has 16 beehives producing honey and pollinating the apple trees that grow on his property.

His family and friends are very supportive of his beekeeping and its honey.

“I sell it at work and at home,” Swank said. “People just call me and say I need honey for tomorrow.”

Swank has passed on the beekeeping enthusiasm to his family.

“Everyone loves my beekeeping practice. They get tired of me talking about it, but they are very supportive,” Swank said.

With a mild 2011 winter, many Butler County residences are worried about bugs this summer.

Swank thinks its going to be a great year for the bee.

QUESTION: What do you do with the bees in the winter?ANSWER: I keep them outside. I might wrap them with a black roofing paper.This year I didn’t. It was such a nice, mild winter, but I might wrap them once with the black paper to keep a little bit of the heat drawn in.But you always let them have a little hole for a cleansing flight.

QUESTION: How did you first get started beekeeping?ANSWER: Basically by accident. My wife asked me why we weren’t getting any apples on my tree and I asked an orchard friend and he said we needed bees.A week later she saw a clipping in the newspaper for The Armstrong/Indiana Beekeepers Association.I went to the meeting and I was immediately hooked.I thought it looked like great fun.

QUESTION: How much honey do you get from the bees?ANSWER: That varies due to bloom and weather conditions.If I get 50 to 80 pounds a year from the hives that’s good, but I’m always looking for more.A lot of times we’ll harvest twice a year.

QUESTION: How many times have you been stung?ANSWER: This year I’ve been doing very well. I’ve only been stung once.I was stung 66 times last year. I had a bad year, so that’s improving.It varies, but so far this year only once.You take on a little venom now and then.

QUESTION: What’s your favorite part of beekeeping?ANSWER: Helping someone else get started; a young person or a beginner, and then the honey harvest is the reward.So there are two parts I enjoy immensely.