Excellent article, kat. The lack of genetic diversity of commercially available queens could very well be a significant part of the problem. It certainly has been a problem here in other domains.
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The pine forests here in BC are currently being destroyed by a massive mountain pine beetle epidemic. The decision to dick with the ecosystems in this province has resulted 3 times as much pine grown now, than there was 100 years ago.

A good proportion of those stands are also of limited genetic diversity. The seed lots and seedlings were selected based on commercial economic values, such as fast growth, with little regard to how those trees would respond to changes in climate or their resistance to disease and insects when stressed.

Its what happens when you think you are smarter than Mother Nature and decide to "grow" forests as a "crop". It might work well for short-term plants, but it is deadly when you plan to span 60 or 70 years until harvest. Nature has had 10 or 15 thousand years practice perfecting the northern forests. Its sheer hubris to think we can do better on such a grand scale; but we can sure go a helluva long way towards f%#king it up.