Massive wasps' nest in wildlife office dismantled

11 hours ago

Imogen LeeNorfolk

News image — The wasps built a huge nest which took over Eilish Rothney's office shelves

MARTIN GILES/BBC A large wasps' nest covers A4 folders and documents on a shelf. — The wasps built a huge nest which took over Eilish Rothney's office shelves

A nature reserve manager has finally dismantled a large wasps' nest in her office after the insects made it their home for four months.

Eilish Rothney, a nature reserve manager for the Trinity Broads at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, found wasps buzzing around the room in June, when she returned from conducting surveys.

The wasps had made their home on the shelves of the Ormesby St Michael office, wrapping around binders and other items. They left the nest a few weeks ago.

Rothney said: "It's kind of a fitting tribute that we've welcomed what many, many people see as a pest...and we've helped them survive, which will help this whole ecosystem that we rely on."

MARTIN GILES/BBC A woman with blonde hair is crouching next to a shelf which has a large wasps' nest on it. The woman is wearing a black fleece and is smiling. — Eilish Rothney, nature reserve manager for the Trinity Broads at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, with the wasps' nest in her office before it was dismantled

Rothney said that when she first saw the size of the nest in June it was about the size of a paperback book.

She added: "There was just like constant [wasps] coming and going, probably 10s, 20s in and out all the time."

Rothney started dismantling the nest on Tuesday and said that she knew in the autumn, it would be time for them to leave.

When she hadn't seen any wasps for a number of weeks she decided to explore by cutting away at the nest.

She said that she was "amazed" to peel back a number of layers before reaching the shelves. She added that it was not until she got closer to the ring binders that she could see "hexagonal cells where the larvae would have been".

Rothney said she will miss her office colleagues, but she knows they will be back and added: "I think if they do come back in here next summer they will be welcome."

MARTIN GILES/BBC A woman with blonde hair is cutting into a wasps nest which is located on a shelf of folders and ring binders. — Eilish Rothney made a start at dismantling the nest on Tuesday.

Rothney said it was important that we make space for nature. She added: "Although people don't like them, [they] are part of nature.

"They have a really, really important role to play, as do all the insects, even mosquitoes, which are not my favourite."

She said she thought the wasps struggled because of the warm summer. Due to her office being near a pond and a meadow, the wasps were able to get food and water.