Welcome, I am sorry to say your enthusiasm will probably grow with your first honey extraction, swarm, or split.
A: You're wrong. There are quite a few beekeepers in the Fairbanks/North Pole area who successfully overwinter hives - every year. Get active with the local beekeeper's association. Do NOT believe them when they try to tell you wintering is an "advanced" topic. It is basic topic and every beekeeper should have enough understanding of it to have success in their locality. Bees have been successfully kept in extreme cold environments from the steppes of Siberia to central Canada and interior Alaska for a long long time. Do not think Fairbanks/North Pole is unique in its winter conditions.Unfortunately Apicide is the way to go up here. Temps usually get around 40 below or colder. The cold starts in Sept, and last till April.
I took a class from Steve Peterson, he is the president of the Interior Beekeepers Assoc. He is the one that told me that economically it doesn't pay to try to winter bees. Apparently only about 15% of your bees will survive, and their ability to operate normally the following summer goes to hell, even after being wrapped in 2" foam for the winter. I guess i can try later on in my bee career. Right now if i want to get any honey i have to take it from them. Right now i only have one hive. maybe in a few years when i have a few more hives, i will have the honey and pollen stores built up to try to winter them. Until then im going to try to get the basics down.A: You're wrong.... Get active with the local beekeeper's association. .