Hello Jim & All,

> We need some comments and suggestions from folks who
> have over-wintered observation hives before.
> Any comments?  Any suggestions/critiques?

My suggestion is probably the most unusual you will get but here goes.
What you are looking at is simply a queen and frames for observation. Not a
20 frame hive with young bees, pollen and honey for winter. I would cage the
queen and use her to requeen with  or if your other hives are medium frames
use her and the brood to requeen a hive needing requeened. In my opinion any
hive which did not produce enough honey (as compared to others in the yard)
needs a new queen.
Start your observation hive next year with a fresh young queen. Swarming (in
my opinion) is more apt to happen with a old queen in a observation hive
such as yours.
If all your other hives are in deep hive bodies put the 12 frames of the ob
hive (less queen & bees) over a strong hive with a queen excluder. Remove
when empty.  The brood should hatch and the hive should pull the honey down
into the brood nest. Shake the old OB bees out on the ground in the area of
several hives and they will drift in and join the other hives.
Now take a medium super of honey and put over a strong hive not using a
queen excluder. . Next spring you can use the brood to make up a new OB
hive. I would recommend introducing a young queen  Next spring the queen &
bees should be in the super you placed on the hive. Remove the queen and
place her below and take the super and what ever you need to start the OB
hive. Add a couple frames of MT drawn comb for the new queen to start laying
in and presto you have got your 12 frame OB hive.  I wrote the above
solution as if all your other hives were in deeps.  If you have got hives
with brood in medium depth  I would simply combine BUT I would use a young
queen each year. Old queens (and sometimes young)  WILL swarm from a OB
hive!
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Odessa, Missouri
Ps. Almost the middle of September . I never winter a hive like Jim
describes but maybe others do and will give Jim a better answer. Last night
the temperature dropped into the 40's . Winter is around the corner.