A woman has been left puzzled after discovering a strange object in her back garden. Taking to the Dull Women's Club Facebook group, she shared a photograph of the find, admitting that the intricate honeycomb-like pattern had triggered her trypophobia, a fear of clusters of holes.
The item, which appeared papery in texture, was found on her back lawn. In her post, she wrote: "Found just now on my back lawn. Where the heck did that come from? I love the perfect hexagon combs but I'll admit this seems set my trypophobia into overdrive."
Fellow group members quickly identified the object as a wasp's nest, with many suggesting it was from a paper wasp. One beekeeper confirmed this, explaining that a papery texture indicates a wasp nest, whereas a wax-like feel points to a beehive. They added that the nest appeared uninhabited, and any larvae or eggs would die without adult wasps to care for them. The presence of mould on one edge suggested the original colony had died some time ago.
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, paper wasps belong to the Vespidae family and are known for their striking appearance. Measuring around 16mm in length, they have orange antennae and wings, with black or brown bodies marked by slender yellow stripes. Their nests are made from wood fibres chewed by the females and mixed with saliva to form a papery paste, typically attached to a protective overhang. Each nest contains roughly 100 cells for larvae.
While some commenters were fascinated, others were horrified. One user exclaimed: "OMG. I have this phobia and didn't know it was a thing! My scalp crawls. It's horrid!" Another simply called the insects "nasty b**gers."
