Hello Bob,
I didn't say that it was pesticide poisoning!  It affects the developing queens and causes ICS.  The queens are part worker, part queen.  The amount of each caste is very variable and the number of queen/batch also varies.  But, a queen that has 5, 10  or 15% part worker characteristics is of course liable to be superseded much quicker than a queen that is fully developed.  These ICS queens (virgins) can cause real havoc in a breeding apiary by going around entering colonies that are rearing cells, producing small amounts of queen pheromone and affecting further the development of the cells being reared.  A lot of cells are also destroyed by the rearing colonies  as the cells get close to emergence.  Apparently, the bees realize that that the sealed cells contain intercastes and destroy them.
Best regards
Roger White
Superbee Cyprus.

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