Eileen, It's great that you're interested in being a beekeeper. We need as many as we can get. Spring may be a better time to start. You could possibly get an established hive now from someone reputable, but it may be expensive and you have the issue of making it through the winter. That being said, you might also get lucky and find a beekeeper like one of our club members who has lots of hives and is more interested in helping a beginner get started than making a killing. My advice would be to find and join a local beekeeping club,visit someone's bee yard, and ask if someone would be willing to mentor you. You may be able to get a hive this year, but if not, at least you could observe and help out in the bee yard through the rest of the season. This would give you a good idea if it's really something you want to do. If you go to beesource.com and look under local associations, you might find a club in your area. Also try googling (your state)Beekeepers Association.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://beesource.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=272

Some beekeepers make summer nucs for sale. they will probably be selling them in August. Joining your local beekeeper organization is a great idea.

I'd be a little wary about getting anything but a well established hive this time of year. There aren't alot of honeyflows left around the country sufficient enough to build them up and overwinter them.
I would wait, do tons of reading and research, and google "package bee suppliers" sometime in January for April delivery.

Eileen, A couple other things. Order your equipment early. You can pick up equipment now and get to know it and have everything assembled and painted for the spring season. The reason I mention this is that many suppliers were overwhelmed by the number of new beekeepers this past season and ran out of stuff or had back orders. Another reason is that you can't reliably ship wax foundation in the winter time. If you order package bees, do it as soon as companies are taking orders (jan) and order for an early delivery date as those are almost always delayed. As mentioned above read a lot. Most local libraries have at least a couple of good beekeeping books.

I just found about 20 africanized ones building a home near my door, I'd be happy to let you have them all ;)

This is where I bought my bees. She's very nice. Search "apiaries" and find the one closest too you - then the bees will be the most accustomed to your climate. If you can't find any - Laura will send them through the mail. I'm zone 6 sort of zone 6/7 but it does to 10 degrees and mine are fine.

Laura Weaver Bee Weaver Apiarieswww.beeweaver.com866-547-3376 (tel & fax)toll-free M-Th, 9am-1pmSales Office:6301 Highland Hills Dr., Austin, TX 78731Shipping Office:16481 CR 319, Navasota, TX 77868Making the World Sweeter Since 1888

I have a solid stockade fence panel on the north side of each hive and tied a piece of foam board insulation on (meant for houseing construction) on the north and west side of the hives...left the south side uncovered for warming from the sun and the east is their entrance side.
Just thought I'd share since you are zone 5.