Massive wasps’ nest in wildlife office dismantled

A large wasps’ nest that occupied a nature reserve manager’s office for four months has been dismantled after the insects left. Eilish Rothney of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust said she welcomed the wasps, which are often viewed as pests, because they contribute to the ecosystem.

The nest was on shelves in the Trust’s Ormesby St Michael office, where Rothney first spotted it in June, about the size of a paperback book. She saw dozens of wasps coming and going, and waited until she had seen none for several weeks before peeling back the nest’s layers in autumn. Its inner layers contained hexagonal cells where larvae had been; Rothney said the wasps may return next summer.