PLB >“Further, much of beekeeping over the centuries was not selective at all, people just collected colonies and robbed from them regardless of the nature of the bees.”

I would argue skep beekeeping was selective.
The beekeeper harvesting ½ to 2/3 of the hives applied strong selective pressure. It is likely aggressive hives would be one of the 1st chosen for harvest.  

PLB>“The flip side is: if the population is too small, and there is a strong force of dilution, the beneficial allele can't get a foothold to become predominant. This is why local adaptation in honey bees is probably a mirage.”

I would not call it a mirage. 
Unless a trait leads to positive selection, by nature, or by the beekeeper it will not last. 
         
The dilution of a trait do to lack of selection pressure is just how bees are. Casting a wide genetic net followed by strong negative selection has worked very well for them. 
Spitballing Seeley’s 2017 numbers, 80%(ish) of the queens and nearly ½ the colonies are negatively selected a year and replaced by new genetics.
If the beneficial allele can’t get a foot hold, it wasn’t enough of a benefit.   

Peter>“Looks like you might not be familiar with the work of John Kefuss.”
“Kirk Webster, Les Crowder, Solomon Parker...there are lots and lots of people now having success with Treatment Free bees.”

Far less than the internet makes one think…
yes there are people with a few hives and low mite pressure or in a good spot, but they are the exception, not the rule 
Move Kefuss’ stock and it often fails 
Kirk Webster was wiped out for the 2nd time in a row this winter
Sol endlessly splits and chases swarms and can’t seem to get his numbers up despite claiming very low losses, last word was he had 12 hives. 
Michael Bush  went in to winter with to 14 full sized hives (and 30 smalll hive/nucs - many of witch were combines of his mating nucs, that he started with bought packages )

This is the state of TF for many who try it 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPn-uUmbZwY

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