Planning a combine

[Rurification]

I have two hives that have been dwindling - I think due to constant minor robbing this fall. I watched them for a while, then opened them up last weekend and Box 1 [requeened late Aug] only has a few frames of bees, but Box 2 is really being bothered by robbers, so I put on robber screens on both and reduced the space a bunch. 

I don't know how much a hive naturally dwindles in the fall, but I figured I need to go into winter with at least one box full of bees.    So, I'm thinking I'll take my losses in the fall, and combine those two hives.   I want to keep the queen from Box 1 [regular deep and new queen from late Aug/early Sept], but move those bees to Box 2, which is a long hive that's been reduced to 10 frames for the winter.   

1.  Is it a bad idea to combine these two weaker hives or should I put each weak hive with a stronger hive?

2.  If I combine these two, I'm thinking it's easier to stack Hive 1 on the long hive, than it is to take the frames from the long hive and try to put them in something else, then stack it on Hive 1 deep.    Right?

3.  I've done a combine before.  I'll have to find the queen in the long hive and pinch her, the do a newspaper combine.  They'll integrate in a few days.  It's going to be warm this week [70's daytime highs] and if I combine the hives now, the queen I'm saving and putting on top will likely stay in her 'own' box, right?   I leave entrances open in both boxes until they integrate.

4.  So next week after they've integrated, I'll need to put the queen from #1 down into the long hive along with any frames of pollen/stores/brood, then take Hive 1 off and tuck them in for the winter.

Am I missing anything?   

[iddee]

It all sounds good except, in a week they will have arrangements to their liking. If you move the queen down, they have to do it again. Combine as you plan, then leave them alone. They will put the queen and stores where they want them

[Rurification]

Thanks. Good to know.    I'm afraid of overwintering them in two boxes [bad experiences with that here], so I'm thinking I'll need to compact them into a single 10 frame deep space for the winter.   

I could delay that...but I really want to button them up and leave them alone once I put the candy on.

[iddee]

If they will fit in one box, they will have everything except the pollen in the top box in a couple weeks.

[Rurification]

OK - that's really good to know.   Do we know why they would move up?...because they like up?   because the queen would be there?

Once they did move up, then I could just take that top deep box off and put it on another stand and button it up then.    We have warm spells through the middle of November.

Then with the long box empty, next year I could turn it into a nuc multiplex with 4 spaces for splits.  With follower boards in there, I would have 4 spaces that would hold 5 frames each.  Fixing entrances would be pretty easy.