I applaud all the diagnoses for aarchers' failed hive.  The ability to
diagnose a problem from half a continent away without even seeing the
hive makes me long for similar beekeeping skills and/or psychic ability!
 
A Archer, your best bet is to contact someone locally who can give you
a hands on swag (Scientific wild assed guess) as to why your hive failed.
Failing that, wait for a response from the bee lab where you sent samples
and in the meantime, read up on current bee maladies.  A suggested
reference:
_Honey_Bee_Pests,_Predators_and_Diseases_, latest edition by Roger Morse
 
Aaron Morris