>Why did I screw up this past season?
You are still  "screwing up"  in that you are principally blaming the mites
rather than what they  carried

>since the hives were of many strains
From several sources I assume?

In this case, the problem is Globalization, and it is almost impossable 
to avoid these effects, unless you want to live like the uni-bomber, 
back in the deep woods and be a hermit

Previous outbreaks were probably self limiting and it did not become wide-spread

If you (or Dennis) wish to prove that it is something "new", then
take the worst contaminated box and put it close (1 m) to a thriving ANT colony
Observe for 4-5 months.
That will "blow your mind"

dave

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