I think this qualifies as "other issues." I welcome feedback.
I, likewise, have an interest in this brood cycle break as a threat to the varroa population. The April '08 Bee Culture had an interesting article, but by the time I read it, it was October.
The article described summer nucs, what others have called "Yard Trashing." I understand yard trashing as the complete breakdown of a colony into summer nucs, moving the nucs to a new yard and either requeening with queen cells or allowing them to raise their own queens. Obviously, one would have to do this when the colonies had time/nectar and pollen to build up a winter reserve.
The queenless period, according to the author, provides a natural brood break, reduced varroa populations going into a time when varroa populations normally explode, and a late-season queen that will continue to lay eggs going into the late fall. The colony builds up into a strong single that goes into the winter and comes out in the spring in a better shape than if a person were to split and make spring nucs.
In our neck of the woods in SE Missouri, our minor nectar flow runs mid-April to mid-May. We have a cold spell we call "Blackberry Winter," which corresponds to the blackberry bloom, usually between Mother's Day and the local high school graduation ceremonies. After blackberry winter, the major flow comes on like gangbusters until early July.
Then from mid-July through August, there just ain't much of anything until Labor Day when the golden rod starts blooming.
My thought is to build up my colonies like I normally do. I do not split in the spring, but rather work other angles to prevent swarming and I keep ample supers on strong hives.
In late June, I anticipate yard trashing leaving behind the old queen, a little brood and the supers. Once split and move the nucs, I'll go back and harvest my supers. Since there is no realistic expectation of any honey produced in July and August, I won't be hurting my honey harvest. Additionally, I'll be feeding these new nucs, but then I usually feed after I extract anyway.
The following spring, in theory, holds that a young queen and a nice colony would not necessarily be so prone to swarm. These colonies then build up, produce honey and they you split those the following summer.
That's my game plan. Any thoughts? It's all still on paper emanating from the idealism of my fertile imagination.
Grant
Jackson, MO
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