Massive wasps’ nest in abandoned loft will both horrify and impress you

Massive wasps’ nest in abandoned loft will both horrify and impress you


Hundreds of the dead insects were found next to the nest.

LONDON Is this a homeowner’s skin-crawling nightmare? Or an impressive depiction of what happens when nature is left uninhibited?

In this case, the answer is a resounding “both”.

A positively massive nest, built by as many as 10,000 stinging wasps, was discovered in an empty loft space by North London-based Pest Professionals in the small village of Pipewell, UK.

Nests such as these can easily hold between 6,000 and 10,000 wasps.

The property had been left unoccupied for several years, allowing the nest to reach close to its maximum size of approximately 1-metre wide (3.2 ft).

READ  Chile's young independents lead quiet revolution against politics-as-usual

The colony was left undisturbed, which explains how it reached such a large size.

Another fascinating feature of the nest was a perfectly preserved tunnel built by the wasps, which leads from the colony’s dwelling to the outside.

The intricate structure is a rare find in wasp nests.

Pest controller Gary Wilkinson, who found the nest, had initially been called in to treat the home for woodworm in preparation for its new owners.

In a press release sent to Mashable, he is quoted as saying: “Although you wouldn’t want it in your own loft, you have to say it’s a very impressive and in its own way a very beautiful thing.”

READ  From book to boom: how the Mormons plan a city for 500,000 in Florida

Sounds about right to us.

Read more: http://mashable.com/2016/09/27/giant-wasp-nest/

Top