I like parsimonious explanations! What would need to be confirmed is whether it is the queen who begins laying eggs, or whether it is the nurses that stop consuming them and start feeding them.
It may be different from area to area, but Several mid winter queens I have seen (alive) are MUCH smaller and look like swarm queens. This would indicate to me they are in some dietary egg laying restriction mode.
No fact, just observation.
Charles
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