Ya bet ya Ace. Specifically there are looking for American Foul Brood, so contagious, so deadly, and the spores are reported to live 50 YEARS. AFB has the ability to wipe out a honeybee industry if unchecked.
The THREAT: AFB infects and kills a single hive, the hive is robbed out. The robbers return to their hive which spreads the disease to 10 new hives which are killed from disease and are robbed out. The process continues: 100 then 1,000, 10,000 then an entire state can be wiped out. And all it takes is one hive to begin the process. Remember the spores remain viable for 50 years. European foul brood does not make spores, completely totally different ordeal.
Blessings
Van