I generally agree with this sentiment - I'm a treatment-free (disclaimer to prevent hate responses: I use IPM practices, I'm not a complete idiot) beekeeper. Bu

I generally agree with this sentiment - I'm a treatment-free (disclaimer to prevent hate responses: I use IPM practices, I'm not a complete idiot) beekeeper. Burning the AFB hives and even other proximal ones makes sense. In theory the resistant hives wouldn't develop AFB and wouldn't be burned in the first place. The number of hives required to be burnt in any year is extremely low, so that'd not a factor in the diversity. Large operations are inherently a threat to diversity. Stuff like package mills supplying most of the country. The large producers could reduce their risks of needing to burn all their equipment by managing multiple smaller apiaries separate from each other. This would limit disease speed and potentially increase diversity (or at least preserve it better).