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What Does A Wasps Nest Look Like?
Have you ever wondered what a wasps nest looks like?
For the first time I’ve recently seen one close up and personal and was amazed at how beautiful they are.
It’s amazing how delicate they look, just like paper mache (which isn’t too much of a surprise since they are made from chewed wood and wasp spit .. a form of paper I suppose).
Here are a couple of photo’s I took with my mobile today, sorry about the quality but David Bailey I’m definately not.
Wasps nests come in many shapes and sizes as can be seen on this image of a wasps nest in an attic.
The inside of a wasp nest looks very much like a bee honeycomb, as this image of the shows.
I hope you enjoy the images and agree that a wasps nest is an intricate and beautiful object.
I have now added images of the inside a wasp nest.
For more information on wasps nest please visit:
How Does a Wasp Colony Build a Nest?
July 5th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
I’m surprised this is the first time you have seen one up close, having lived in the country all my life I have seen dozens and dozens of them, varying size from fist sized to football sized.
They are amazing structures, however I do have to admit to destroying them depending on location. Having one in your shed or above your house door or even in the attic can cause problems!
July 6th, 2009 at 8:37 am
That is pretty interesting to see – is there a larger amount of wasps in the surrounding area because of this and is it causing any issues with where it is?
Wasps are one thing I really dislike, mainly through fear I think that is deep set from when I was a child.
July 6th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Beautiful. Were you able to leave it or did it have to come down? In a previous house we had a wasp nest in a blocked off chimney. It didn’t bother us, but in autumn of course the workers started dying. Instead of flying out their normal way they somehow managed to get down into the room. They’d make for the window but die in their droves overnight. In the morning (it was a guest room but only my mum was brave enough to sleep there then) there would be 30 or 40 dead wasps on the carpet. Nobody ever got stung…
July 7th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Hi Sally,
Yes they are amazing constructions. A few years ago at our previous property, we had one in a Ribes Splenden bush in the back garden. Only problem was it was the domain of our old (now departed) Cocker Spaniel. He wasn’t amused, so several puffs of wasp killer powder sorted that problem out.
Yes – Annie Leibovitz isn’t yet shaking in her shoes about you catching her up on the photography front. {:) You could be getting close to David Bailey though soon.
Roy Norris´s last blog ..
July 11th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
I am a serious gardener and involved with my county extension agency. I have MANY books on insects, etc. I have poured over them all, could identify most wasps but not one book had more that a picture or two of nests.
I was SHOCKED to open your site and there was a picture of THE NEST I was curious about. How exciting—-but then–no info about which wasp built this nest. I hope you can help me.
D
July 12th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Unfortunately due to the location we’ve had to spray the nest, quite sad really.
Once the hive is dead we will take down the nest and cut it open, so will try to get some piccies of inside the nest.
Hi Danielle, welcome to the blog. Yes I was suprised how few photos I could find of wasp nests, maybe Roy will come across one and take some decent photos for us. I am adding a very bad image of a dead wasp which I hope will help you identify the species.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Hi Danielle, sorry couldn’t get a photo which was close up enough to see the markings but not blurred (photo course at local college required) … however, the species is Tree wasp (Dolichovespula sylvestris)
July 17th, 2009 at 12:11 am
Hi Guys,
It is a pretty picture, but I would say it is a HORNETs nest, not a wasp nest. Wasps build from paper mache too, but it is a honeycombed next, one cell deep, with possibly 50-100 cells. It is usually 3-5 inches in diameter and hangs from a slender thread about 1/2 inch long. Of course, we do call insects different names in different parts of the country, but I’ve had hornets and I’ve had wasps. Dirt Daubers look like wasps, but they build mud nests. I came to this site looking for info on yellow jacket nests and stings. I have both. Great pic, regardless.
July 18th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Absolutely gorgeous, and how sad that you had to destroy it. You are going to cut it open? I would be so terrified to do that! Great blog by the way, I’ve just discovered it!
Heidi @Savory Tv´s last blog ..Low Brow Goes High Brow! Chef Steve Ricci’s Tuna Sandwich
July 20th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Thank you for the pictures! I think they’re wonderful! They helped me identify the nest that is located on my deck. I would love to bring it in to show my second grade class, but I don’t know how to do this. Of course, I’d wait until it was empty……any ideas?
July 21st, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Hi Judy, I don’t think it’s a hornets nest as the head and thorax are black rather than brown and the abdomen markings are certainly tree wasps.
Hi Suzanne, you have to be very careful when you take the nest down because there could be some wasps left in the nest (they frightened the life out me lol). I just took a sharp kitchen knife and cut it away gently … it’s very fragile on the outside and just peeled away. I used the knife to flick the remaining wasps out of their cells and squished them with my wellies
Have put some new pictures up of the inside of the nest, not great pics again but what can you do with a mobile phone!
Dear Santa, please can I have a camera for Xmas.
November 14th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
I have one in a tree, can I move th enest to another tree? IF i canot is there a way to kill the wasps and keep th enest intact? I would like to give it to a nature center or local school? It is on a banch right by the gate to the garden and we had too many close calls with them this year.
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Hi Rich, you would have to get in a professional to move the nest. If you try an over the counter wasp killer it will kill most of the wasps but beware as the growing larvae may survive, so when you open the nest live wasps will be inside.
it’s sad when we have to kill them for safety but it is best to get in a professional if you can.
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Hi Rich
You can protect yourself, cut the nest down and pop it in a bag, then stick it in the freezer. All the wasps and larvae will die and you can show the nest off at school after a day in the dep freeze!