>>Dr. Seeley.... These bait hives had ... normal foundation, so the swarms did NOT build their own combs. Most of them ... did not develop high levels of mites.

Low mites in the 1st season are not unusual.  In fact, creating artificial nucs reduces mites in the parent colony by some 50%.  The observed colonies need to be tested over several seasons.

>>...the ferals and tested them alongside some commercial stock. However, the ferals did NOT show mite resistance in his experiment.

There may have been mite invasion into the ferals with drifting bees or due to robbing with the commercial hives were near by.  Ferals on standard foundation may succomb to varroa pressure.

>>My own view is that the reason they survive has to do with either the fact that they are isolated from other bees instead of being kept in apiaries like we have...

Very possible.  Yet these ferals carried mites as I recall.  Sooner or later the mites will overwhelm bees UNLESS they are kept in check.  The natural cell size gradation may be a factor. In this case, there may have been low virus counts as well.

>>But I wonder if dividing the hives annually might replicate the effect of swarming, and prevent the rapid build-up of mites.

I read that making up artificial nucs with most of the brood from the parent hive, halves the mites in the parent hive.  This was a short term measure and it was not enough to control the mites to ensure winter survival.

Waldemar

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