If it's not a hornet??? Here's its home...

[Maria Grant]

Hi,

I was 'reliably' told by a fellow allotment holder that I had a hornet's nest in my shed. However everything I've read suggests that hornets live in groups and this is a solitary creature. I've attached a photo of its home. Any suggestions? It's since been joined by a second home in a different part of the shed. Both seem to house a single flying insect looking very much like a wasp and have been in situ for most of the summer (hence the cobwebs!).

Recommendations on when/if/how I can move the nest to reclaim the spade for winter use much appreciated.

Maria.

[Two_Sheds]

I've always believed that wasps can fly upwards but not down (that's why those bottle-traps work)

Wasps do however make a golf-ball to melon sized (and even bigger) nest which looks just like yours. The wasps all die in the winter, except the queen who will hibernate elsewhere. Wasps don't reuse the nest either, they build new ones.

This wasp nest looks like yours?
Did you say that an insect is still using it?

[Two_Sheds]

The rest of that guy's wasp nest photos are worth a look too. Beautiful

[smallblueplanet]

Don't know, but it looks fabulous!

[Nordmead]

well according to google, this is a "common wasp" nest:



which looks quite similar to yours.. although im no expert

[Maria Grant]

Thanks to everyone for their responses.

This summer I had a wasps nest take over my compost heap which is situated about three metres from my shed so that, coupled with all the beautiful photos on Craig's flicker account http://www.flickr.com/photos/2191392...th/3453515960/), seem to suggest that this is in fact a wasp nest. As smallblueplanet suggests they are indeed fabulous constructions.

twosheds says that wasps dont return to their nests and, as I have two of them in the shed, I'll reclaim the spade but keep the other nest to admire.

Thanks again.