Randy,
   You wrote:
>>>>Prior to swarming, it appears that the queen is starved by the workers
in order to slim down.
That observation suggests that they refuse her solicitation.  
.<<<<<<

I don't  particularly disagree and you did use the words "guess and appear."
I'd just like to point out some assumptions behind these long standing
ideas. 

1. That an adult bee could gain weight. 
2. That an adult bee could lose weight by starving.
3. That workers "know" that not feeding the queen results in "slimming
down."
4. That a "plan" to swarm is in place.
5. That a bigger bee is heavier. (Did anyone WEIGH a swarming queen?) 
6. Anything that implies intentionality by the colony.

>>>>>>>the same thing that happens in fall, when pollen income ceases--that
the workers shut down broodrearing by simply refusing to feed the queen
enough for her to continue to produce eggs<<<<<<<<<<<

Since most of the colony regulation is accomplished with small increments of
behavior, it's likely that the same or similar triggers would be in play.
Nature is economical. Feeding, as such, is probably too large an
intervention. When the truth is known I SUSPECT that it will be the
inclusion or withholding of a subtle pheromone. If this became a fact ti
wouldn't change what we do very much.

Dick Marron 

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