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Huge wasp nest takes over wildlife trust's office

Eilish Rothney says the nest, which has engulfed her ring binders, is about 1m (3.2ft) tall.

Huge wasp nest takes over wildlife trust's office

A nature reserve manager for the Norfolk Wildlife Trust has been working remotely after wasps took over her office and constructed a 1-meter (3.2-foot) nest around a bookshelf. Eilish Rothney discovered the nest on June 11, 2023, after weeks of fieldwork. Initially, the nest was much smaller, but it expanded over time. The manager spent over two hours observing the wasps building the intricate layers of the nest, which resembled colorful paper.

Rothney noted that the wasps had infiltrated the entire office, entering crevices and surrounding the binders. She suggested imagining a browsing cow in the office to deal with the situation. In the autumn, the wasps will leave the nest, with the females hibernating and returning as queens in the spring, while the workers will eventually die off.

Rothney encouraged the public not to be frightened by the wasps, emphasizing the importance of remaining calm.

Written by urgent.news from BBC Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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