Prior to the langstroth hive, European beekeepers destroyed the hive entirely to harvest the honey. Mites and disease were less prevalent and insects were FAR less stressed by the environment.

The Langstroth hive was invented in the 1850s, and the first migratory commercial hives started in the US 50 years later.

In the 1940s we saw a steady decline in hives, but the hives really started seeing massive die offs in the 2000s.

So no, the timelines are not really due to shipping commercial hives. There's other, stronger factors at play.