Take a listen:
The file box bees:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmM1xmbOS1VUO2nnub8wp3H7ilJk56Nu89H2sD0Vd6LHngod9OWLjWVA73xiIXPSHZ9ktdavq52j-g8R75fiFVxW4Y7BmcN9KrX3N81Q8r8Lf05Wh8QBRvn3e7cyCfn3KHGdQyXsgMs6h6/s400/IMG_2612.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJY-hjtdWKjP-6VlFz1II8bLfPB5DLqwd2Ol5GlmI-w-Ca7ZPIniEt8Bqve2F1cLLZaU2ae5zHRd99l9PDqt5iwYApZ7n0076q-q5vFm6iBlJ3vfNP-lj00phxUxEC4iEFXSayg1Ui5q_y/s400/IMG_2613.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJYSPWRUuhyphenhyphenMkl6bKWi3seOYp3NGycm6faCfuNSWyIxTxk2RbtfO0p8Wp_xBma9LILut5KBOWL1wDIeYZt8VWfsG89E1jCUu69X5tDYMVPynsYnvuRv-qCqEygD8mv1A-P9toVRAHgpXp2/s400/IMG_2614.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErwqcAIBexBHf85uKdWTMZuYWXKVbkJmsnwbM6Cfe4TE7Qu_ypeKfRwPgZvD-HxIUx6us-MUeAmEbTjZVxJ6YZXuF8zn_rjcOyP3EUouxOUQ2xSacirCsWsXpR61NzbQ3ofmP2N5X6eQ5/s400/IMG_2617.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4LpgD2NIDIAb-Ra0w2H8QwdTWPuUKNt-jyxT3HweVq_1p7jVbkt_xfOA3L4W2OJB3EV7MXWQ-SoCQnD2NFHCjVocMOHegaHO0aTgwB7aXDpEaVJR90_IwrhSUHwOS3knJJG5yc3wq7juA/s400/IMG_2619.jpg)
The gnarly old tree:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BQ_Zgacb1y2-8u8LOucAdCBRpJsjw5Ymjamy_Bbs1Ribm8Z-or2Aycp_uVWr-JkGLWpe9_z0k2mK2bw1mVVxWXo8ztdDcvfB8jWOwnQ_0B16SgGaNcz4K20FZe9z8-55H_Mad8Z5BfKG/s400/IMG_2622.jpg)
Dismantling the tree with the spud bar:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7zVAWjSHM7j9XSGSzaKEXwLebxLcjeI4uso6Vx_o4Kn0tJm0XPvLMdqGCh301k44M-lwy29-yznAnlxI76vNNFpOQGliVuu8j4A488Xnju2afTJkWeWaGVLiy_aW2OmJIx-aTCBNFdRd/s400/IMG_2624.jpg)
Kirk says:
This is looking inside the void of the tree, the hollow part—I called it the "the top knot."
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBf4Jyb-OsEq4nYgpFwEmBTvz-HQHoy3bag_J4Wr3OzHfNFNaMprTu461wFz2BdMAAI71bSqdB9GZqDkC14WEfyWATbI35M8XVaJ1c5t7CUueB6xuMTDxJREpD-C_tfvQj51u04cM5WSG/s400/IMG_2625.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrcMFRRtubSLC_KvLD0s-AbTzfyLi0CKtnJU_FQhm1nsO0QSHiUbXWp4YedaOb6YcR9pnroOGeDOH4COszfMZnXCo_EJnYpf65PfHq06kP2WxF2Mo7pREnPuIWSHrlXkg3TlOkmKujEB-/s400/IMG_2626.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEPJq3DgXL2viJWSTLzT9ejUEiSPbuyu1mXS30Om9RYpE6wd9tyXj9yQS1iCQ9sKv_mlNWrj9v7qQ9g9rqc63UAIdbYmpczrytU_5OplnDtfta0K_BWy8BpUITeBr15JJ271U2cq_1vV6/s400/IMG_2627.jpg)
It was impossible to get them out without a vacuum. I don't like vacuums, so I got a Bright Idea: Put a tarp on the ground with a nuc box on top. I had cut out three frames of brood and two frames of honey from the tree, and I put those in the nuc box.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjVjoDanCdXcuquzz8ODegpq_WXQ4Jxe9wxxyVT51OpqiDjFfpJ_cIZpxX4tKRjXmQYnB3B3_RqyfSjC0Geazl6DlT4hF7ttGOc7OF9_Pp6Nxc0h2QyfVrN5XTHJCFu_6VLzrvOSF3DjH/s400/IMG_2628.jpg)
I picked up the "Top Knot" and slammed it down on the ground next to the nuc box. A big pile of bees fell out and started crawling into the box with the brood and honey frames.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCxiWCQmEx0gSyt7-UkKadB9p0GX_In8rDf8CK663YcK9TrbC_Uoqz44M_7iYlcJkk1cBQXmqdis8AQDQPFc0QVgLPck4HkIgXe_NrKJKzpCt9kiKcCEJ1BVZTasf1CHnhA48lSJZqMHq/s400/IMG_2629.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkK0gtu0cxuTd_ozlHVvnlNcVPHfFZgRrAvIxfyG5gu53fAGXbRkYhy1XAIBa0tZWkW_mZ3Yzfq8KBnxqmM16lXopI8G86rbF3ZA7oO7evBobx5cGZEIl9ThBWRGvLMJXzB5PCRzUA1kUf/s400/IMG_2630.jpg)
Two hours later, they were ready to go.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFbM4URIcu7Bsm8G10qI4bLjKP9iQqYLEfZm6eFJGr4HinbwKspA9HdFF1RCR2WZgPaGjaavvLggdQsCvZGsTuueTVwbaq5cimVG-CEuRUMf0Q-4rIBv0mZ5wR6wleDuaiU0T96kkVBFv/s400/IMG_2632.jpg)
The Farmlab bees in their bee moat:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyGz2bVEY33e1xpW8o2aOm7MbjfTZ1Wzf3pYgD6rwD7chaHQCkfwDZpHuDKmTE8hDbFK2RZxiZz-UrEHs3ss_Mn70cMWPoo0znYtWbK7ose8N5J5NOLE3BaM5JWnCVuYoI_tO5ylCLRuH/s400/IMG_2633.jpg)
The canola oil ant barrier:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvD6vDFgDm35Qk9zlrhGTA2CpQMyf9tNU1bC5zthI5dh8ddRcbA7tgoTTJG3OZHFiQ7JsgP11mzMF8m6dLTPxCSDF3N48WCvzRt5YSlzeoyceCuWVemDp8bK45LdvH4UJWLPMU-UWiSdNv/s400/IMG_2634.jpg)