> Higher replacement ~ lower loss.

Higher replacement = higher cost. You could buy all new equipment and all new bees every year. Don't expect to get much of a return on your money, however. 

One of the most profitable approaches is it to let swarms fill logs and harvest all the honey. The profit is 100%. If you bought new bees and new equipment every year, you would have to get 500 pounds of honey to break even. 

Every management technique must yield some benefit. And the benefit should outweigh the downside or cost. But bottom line is: throwing away perfectly good equipment because it *might* contain germs, is foolhardy. The precautionary principle at its finest! 

Pete

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