Queen laying restriction will encourage swarming instinct, not restrict it.
Perhaps the better thing to do is keep 4 mating NUCs instead of a full frame
nuc. This way the bees are not likely to buildup strong enough to want to
swarm, and if they do swarm or die, the swarm will be so small no one will
notice. AND you have the others to keep resources leveled out. You could
combine them for winter, bring them indoors in the dark when winter starts
and bring them out again on nice days for flying. Then split them back out
to mating nucs in the spring. Might even go as far as 8 mating nucs could be
stored together in 2 medium supers divided into sections, and then remove
the dividers in the fall when getting ready for winter.

Maybe a stupid idea, but I think it would work for your friend's needs and
give him/her a constant supply of bees that has a fair chance of making it
through winter.

Scot McPherson
McPherson Family Farms
Davenport, IA

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