Michael. What I plan on doing is keeping the brood box and two honey supers on top, a total of three boxes, as well as being wrapped, is this enough of a food supply? The weather in Wisconsin has been all over the board the past few years, flip a coin to see if it Will be mild or cold. I would prefer a constant cold winter not the up and down stuff, confuses the bees makes for a bad environment inside the hive.
I hear what your saying as far as bees being expensive, I don't like to spend money and have bees for only one season.