Fern, if you don't leave any honey supers, your bees will starve. Also honey is what the bees use to keep the hive warm. Its like fuel for them. Here in Southeast Missouri the winters are mild, but I always give my bees 50 to 60 lbs of honey to last them through the winter. I feed them one gal of syrup in the spring and 2 gal of syrup in the fall to keep them going. Up there where you live bees would use more honey, since the winter is more intense. Maybe some other beekeepers on here that live in the north can tell you how much honey your bees will probably use. The best of luck !!