Colossal wasps' nest found in attic is the stuff of nightmares

Lindsay Davis
Updated
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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". 

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

Image: pest professionals

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). 

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

Image: Pest Professionals 

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.
The intricate structure is a rare find in wasp nests.

Image: pest professionals 

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."

Sounds about right to us.