Wasp nest?

[jcd123]

Hi

can anyone tell me what posibly made this.

Could it be a Hornet of some kind?



Thanks

John

[demicav]

Certainly looks like some sort of Wasp nest. I'm sure someone with more knowledge will be along shortly. Loving the Avatar by the way.

[Harry Eales]

It is a Social Wasp (Vespa sp.) Nest. A fairly old one by the looks of it as it is in the late stages of disintigration. Almost certainly last years or possibly from the year before.

All the Hornets nests I have ever seen were in hollow or dead tree trunks.

Originally the nest above would have been spherical (football sized in well developed nests) The outer casing has mainly gone leaving only that umbrella shaped remnant of the outer casing. Being made quite literally of paper, these nest soon get into a state where dampness in the atmosphere causes a breakdown on the constituants. A biodegradeable nest in fact.

Harry

[jcd123]

Hi

Thanks demicav and Harry It was your avatar that made look for one of my dog

Thanks Harry for the ID it was in a bird hide so yes it could have been there ages.

John

[GRH]

I would suggest that this is actually a failed nest from this year (IE the queen died/was predated and didn't get very far building her nest (may have even been killed by the birders)), rather than the remains of a completed nest. Certainly not unusual to find them like this.

Greg

[jcd123]

Thanks GRH

yes that sounds like it could be the case I guess we will never know for sure

John

[eucera]

I would agree that this looks like a failed nest... probably no more than the nest constructed by the queen herself.

As to species... it looks like the nest is a pale beige colour (not 100% certain as the flash from the camera could wash out colours). Beige nests would indicate Vespula vulgaris or hornets (Vespa crabro) The beige coloration is produced as a result of using rotten wood as a source of wood pulp.

This nest looks altogether too flimsy to have been a hornet nest.