Hello from Smithsburg, MD. My name is Ben Clopper, I've messed around with bees on/off for several years. I think perhaps it's time to get a little more serious. This past winter I've successfully overwintered four colonies, and I hope to have several more by the end of this season. I don't know what I want to make of it, but I enjoy working bees and have to start building my empire somewhere. I've read several posts here and on the beesource forums, and decided to join both with the user name BenC. I might be able to assist a beginner, and who knows what I have yet to learn myself. By the way, if anyone is wondering where the heck Smithsburg, MD is, It's east of a city called Hagerstown, and west of Frederick.