Summarize:

The easiest way to buy bees is to go to a local, well-respected beekeeper and purchase bees from them. You can also talk to local beekeepers about where they get their bees so that you can make sure to get quality bees. You can buy bees from sellers on the internet but just be aware that you will not be able to inspect the bees before purchase, so you risk the chance of getting a weak or really new hive. When buying bees you should think about the type of bees you want. There are 4 main types of honey bees to buy: Italians, Caucasians, Carniolans, and hybrids. Italian bees are generally the most popular bee to keep because of the amount of honey they produce. However, Caucasian bees tend to be considered the gentlest of the honey bees and Carniolans tend to be hardy bees that survive the winter well. Bee keepers have also created a variety of hybrid bees that take traits from the other varieties. bees in the spring. Once your hive is all set up you can buy bees and start beekeeping. It's best to do it in the spring, when there will be plenty of food around for the new colony to establish itself. You can also catch a swarm of bees in the wild and introduce them to your hive. These are bees that have outgrown their previous hive and are looking for a new home. However, swarms can typically only be caught in the spring and it can take some skills and patience to populate a hive this way. When you order bees they will come in a package that includes thousands of worker bees and one queen bee. To start the new colony, place the queen in the hive in the container she arrived in. Typically, she will come in a small box that has a small cover you remove. Under the cover she will still be blocked inside by a layer of candy. This candy will be removed by the worker bees over the course of several days, which will allow the queen and workers to get acclimated to each other. Be sure to follow the directions for placing the queen in the hive that comes with the bees. These directions will be specific to the type of packaging your bees came in. Once the queen is in place you can then introduce the bees. Gently tap the container of bees to loosen the clump of them. Then open the cover and pour the bees into the hive. Once the majority of them are in the hive between the frames, put the inner cover and the outer cover on the hive. There will be some bees left in the container. Just set the open container on the outside of the hive and the lingering bees will find their way into the hive. Once you have put the worker bees in the hive, you can put the inner and outer covers on the hive.
Find a source for your bees. Purchase Put the queen bee in the hive. Shake the worker bees into the hive.