Winter Prep strategies wanted

[Tyro]

This is the Beemaster Forums big chance to play virtual beekeeper with my hives!  I am in North Dakota, so winter is coming early.  In fact, according to my records from last year, my last week of brood production was the third week of September, bees stopped taking 2:1 syrup between 12-18 October and I wrapped my hives the week of 2 November.  Last year was REALLY dry, this year has been wet (but cold).  Overall the year has been more productive than last year for me, so I might have a bit more time than that.  

Additionally, we are poised for a 2nd (potentially BIG) flow here.  My hives are sitting between two 160-200 acre safflower fields that are about 1 week from being in full bloom.

Here are my resources:

3 hives currently drawing out their 2nd deep boxes - these are on track with my hive that survived the winter last year.  I am not worried about these and plan to simply let them continue until they are full.  If they finish their 2nd deeps, I might super them for surplus honey to feed over winter.

1 hive that I would consider ok.  It is about to finish drawing out its 1st deep.  I suspect that the safflower flow might help it 'catch up'

3 hives that I would consider weak.  These hives just haven't gotten going.  One has what I consider to be a poor queen and was afflicted with chalkbrood through June, one fought queenlessness for almost 1.5 months before FINALLY accepting a queen and one is a month old split that replaced a hive that absconded.  I like the queens in the latter two described hives so far.

2 five frame nucs that are strong and just about to plug out their nucs.  They will require some sort of management action soon.

With these resources, what would you do to maximize overwintering success?

I have considered a couple of options myself -

Initially, I plan to wait and see how things look after the big safflower flow.

Options after, that I have considered include:

1.  Combine two of my weakest hives into one.
2.  Combine a strong nuc with one of my weakest hives - try to overwinter the other nuc.
3.  Combine two of my weakest hives and my remaining weak hive with my 'ok' hive.  Overwinter the nucs in 5-by-5's

I would love input on overwintering strategies from the more experienced beeks on the forum (especially those in the north!).

Thanks

Mike

[Wynoochee_newbee_guy]

well i would try and combine the weak with the strong and combine the two nucs then put them in a regular deep with their frams from the nucs.

Some thing I am doing is building a straw bale walls around my hives to protect them from the wind and a loose roof of bales so the bees can do clensing flights.