Hello John
I can appreciate your frustration and puzzlement.The Lady from Bc talks
about inspecting. This procedure is of importance nowadays to verify the
condition of the colony in spite of the reluctance because of previous
advise. It puzzles me as to how can "experienced" beekeepers tell how many
Varroa or tracheal mites are present in a colony. However one can tell by
the sound bees make if something is amiss or not.And THAT can change by the
hour.And I have certainy no Quarrel whith beekeepers which can tell the
specifics of the sound.I am not that far an expert.
One hears a lot about the mites this and that, but How do you really know
whether or not the mites ARE the cause ???
Let me give you another one of those multiple anecdotes, what happend to me.
Three attempts of my neighbor and I to HAVE bees failed due to Absconding.
Why ? Not the slightest notion at the time.
Managing bees and Having bees are two very different aspects.
Since we are in the 90 ties and not any more in the 70 ties or 80 ties
beekeeping became a function of management rather than Having.
And to us novices , looking into the guts of the hive is important as the
lady said.
My first colony on my own in 1997 which survived the winter had a massive
drone population. Suddenly those drones died by the thousands. At the same
time it stank around the hive and I figured the rotting drones were the
cause.Then , suddenly after the drone demise, Varroas appeared on the
landing board by the hundreds. There were alive and / or dead . I have no
idea whether the bees carried them out or they walked by themselves.
The number of bees reduced drastically  ( I did not inspect within !!!!!!)by
evidence of exiting bees and returners.
Our State inspector came by and analised the cause as American Foul Brood.
That was an extreemly useful lesson and you can detect AFB at an early state
by inspecting periodically before this peculiar odor is noticable.
Meantime I found the culprits of source in the neighborhood.When your bees
abscond , they carry the spores with them and infest other colonies.
Another  observation : I only found ONCE a Varroa dead on a dead drone,in
spite of my patient observation faculties,  but varroas in drone cells .
Foot note : From the advise by the inspector I was able to save the two
colonies I had and their offspring is somehow still around in minute genetic
leftovers.
To sum up: Beware of quicky judgements , inspect , learn to indentify and
treat .
Best wishes
Catfish