I like houseguests, but!

[sonia]

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.)

Comments

[suncat]

Gah! Don't need the images, just reading your adventure will curdle my dreams. I've always counted on the window screens for keeping the cats in when we want fresh air but don't want them getting out. I never imagined that wasps would try to build a nest inside a house.

[sonia]

Hm, screens. I don't usually fuss with them, but it might be worth digging them out to make sure the wasp goes elsewhere. I didn't think wasps nested inside either!

Please tell your dreams that it was actually not a big deal, just surprising.

[suncat]

Heh. Dreams were okay. Just one element seeped in from your story. An animal house guest flew in the open window. But in my dream, the animal was a cat, sans wings but could still fly. It was big, maybe 2 feet from tip of nose to base of tail. And oh yeah, it was green.

[sonia]

Sounds surprising alright!