> Is there any controversy that state-run hive inspections for disease reduces losses to disease? 

Absolutely. I worked for NYS for three seasons, and the program  was a sham. Only some counties got inspected and only some people. If you had buddies in the program, you could get a pass. If you aren't registered they can't inspect you because the inspectors only get paid for inspecting registered hives (they can't force you to register). If nobody knows where the bees are (at least half the hives in the state) they don't get inspected. 

The way the statistics works is they show how many AFB they find among the hives they inspect, logically this goes down, and they use that to lobby for more money. Meanwhile, the actual percentage is more likely going up. They spend the taxpayer's money and the taxpayers get zilch for it. The way to reduce the incidence of disease is through education, something the state has never done. Spot checking and burning hives is the least cost effective way to control disease.

Pete

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