sonia | I like houseguests, but!

TW: insects and arachnids

A couple of years ago, I ducked away as a large wasp buzzed in through the open window. She ignored me on her way to a blob of mud I hadn't really noticed up near the ceiling. She disappeared inside her nest for a bit, then flew back out the window. Uh, oh. Even more than I didn't want a waspish visitor, I didn't want a whole nest of them hatching in my bedroom.

I nervously closed the window and knocked the nest down with a broom handle. There were medium-large spider pieces in there, presumably to feed the larvae, but nothing living (yet). I vacuumed up the pieces. I leave the upstairs windows open all summer, but I didn't see the wasp again.

Two days ago, I happened to be upstairs and saw a similar large wasp buzzing around, landing briefly on several high surfaces. I told her it was time to go and I wasn't interested in hosting her brood. Yesterday, I happened to be upstairs again when she flew in, landed on the rim of the smoke detector, and disappeared inside. Uh, oh.

This morning I cautiously took down the smoke detector and brought it downstairs to examine. I see the beginnings of a nest in there, complete with curving tunnel to get inside. It looks like I can get it out without damaging the detector, but I'm not quite ready to try. Ew, spider pieces! I hope the wasp finds some hospitable place for her nest, not in my house.

ETA: Smaller whole ex-spiders in this one. Ugh. I guess I won't be putting the smoke detector back right away.

(I looked at google images for wasp nests and got completely creeped out. So no image for this post.)