If your in an area with a feral population it's very easy to catch swarms and it's silly to ever buy bees.
And even if you catch a swarm from another beekeeper you at least you know the queen was good enough to throw off a swarm.
Thanks to videos showing us how from JP, schawee, Scott & Peg, iddee, and some others I've got over 40 hives in two years time and have never bought a bee and have in fact made money on bees from day 0. Probably owe them all a vacation.
Don