Hi Ellen,

At this stage in the seasons, I'd be inclined to leave the hive alone.  It's
very late to be combining and/or rearranging, and you're not sure what is
the condition of the hive in question.  Perhaps the new queen IS mated and
is fine.  Perhaps the old queen is still laying and can carry over to next
spring.  Maybe the hive will perish over the winter.  But your unknown
entity is a single hive, whereas if you make the changes you contemplate
your "unknowns" become multiple.

In our parts (way up north) with the excepting of taking strips out if
they're still in, and wrapping if you wrap, THE SEASON IS OVER!  My advice
(others may disagree) is leave the hive alone.

Aaron Morris - thinking winter is not a date on the calendar, it's a season
that's upon us!