> I've never experimented to see but I was taught that bees will not
> combine after the first frost in Autumn.
 
Good point.  After frost, there is often dearth, and yet the bees
are very active during this period and will rob and fight.
 
Many years ago at the start of my career as a bug rancher, I combined
some bees late in the season and had major fighting.  A pile of dead bees
accumulated in front of the hive.   Since then, though, my instincts have
developed and it would not even ocur to me to combine hives under
circumstances that might result in problems.
 
So, I guess the rule is if you know what you are doing you can do lots of
things, but if you are not sure, caution is the best policy.  A seasoned
beekeeper just knows the situation at a glance -- without even being
conscious of the factors that guide his decisions -- and proceeds very
casually with things that can result in disaster for the inexperienced.
 
Allen
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