Hello from Scott County.....Illinois...USA

[Greg2347]

New to beekeeping but not to bees. Assisted my late father-in-law with his bees a long time ago. Starting with two hives this year-want to expand to 25-30 hives in three years. Got to crawl before I walk/run however.

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Welcome Greg!

[Honey-4-All]

If you are thinking 30 in 3 years you might want to bump your start number to 4,5 or even 6. With only two at the git-go you may run into the following situation. If one craps out you will be looking at the same old box over and over again. This will inhibit the "variety" you will be dealing with when you run larger numbers. Reading one book is good to start with but if you have some bee experience already I would expand your knowledge "library" a little faster. Try a bunch of different queens to see what works in your area. Best wishes

[Greg2347]

Thanks for the advise, and the warm welcome.

[dragonfly]

Greg- welcome to Beesource, and in human development, it's critical in the learning process to crawl before you run. Afterall, bees crawl before they can fly.