Okay, I've searched the archives as best I can and can't find much.
In my location we have an early, short honey flow in May and June (sometimes as early as mid-April) followed by a mid-summer dearth (from July 4th through late August) and then a small fall flow (late August through late September).
Anyway, I need some experienced feedback about cut-down splits, or queenless honey production.
The management is to remove the queen in a small split and strengthen the original colony with 7 or 8 frames of sealed brood and 1 frame of open brood used to raise a queen.  Supers piled on and added as needed.
The principle (as everyone knows) is that the colony rakes in the nectar while raising a queen and moves it all into the supers when she’s ready to lay eggs, resulting in more(??) honey production.
My main concern is that the colony may lose morale during the queenless period and not forage more than necessary, thus reducing honey production compared to a young-queenright colony with a that can store nectar under more stable conditions.
Placing a colony under duress during the flow seems counter-intuitive to increased honey production in my mind.  On the other hand, I’ve seen the bees not allow the queen to lay in expectation of an upcoming flow…
Any advice/thoughts/experience GREATLY appreciated!!

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