Peter-

Do you have any information on viability of the virus off its host?

My concern I think is reasonable, and that is if in fact there are two predominate strains of DWV, and one is significantly more fatal in combination with Varroa, then it would make sense to me that one would not treat its presence any longer as background noise, particularly if you were seeing hive losses which suggest the more virulent strain. 

Furthermore, if by chance an actually more virulent strain of it had evolved in a hive, taking the equipment from such a strain and reinstalling it seems illogical. On the other hand, if the virus cannot survive off the host for a certain amount of time, and one knew that amount of time, one might wait a certain time before reuse. I know each pathogen has a different off-the-host life span, and this includes viruses.

Is this not a concern to anyone? I am not trying to make it an extra job for me to do- but am curious if anyone actually considers this in their practice, of it if really is a non-issue. I am currrently scraping out dead outs, rendering the wax, and bleaching the frames. I wouldn't do it if it were not of use, and it is certainly a waste of a lot of perfectly good, new drawn comb.

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