Most beginners start with either a package or a nuc.
Packages are the preferred way.
In purchasing nuclei and colonies you might be buying other beekeeper's problems, such as disease. Collecting swarms and transferring bees is difficult and not recommended for the beginner. The best time to start with bees is in the spring or early summer. Honey bees in the United States are a heterogeneous blend of several races introduced from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. However, they are not the same as the original races they were named after.