My experience here in Australia is that the egg laying of the queen is
basically driven by nectar, and to a minor degree pollen,coming in the front
door.  Queens can go off the lay but shift the hive onto better conditions
e.g. nectar, and the queens commence to lay straight away.
 
Photoperiod can play a part where once the shortest day has gone there seems
to be a response.  However, shifting bees onto a good honey flow a month or so
before the shortest day will induce the queens to lay and even produce drones.
 
Trevor Weatherhead
AUSTRALIA