Massive wasp nest discovered inside the wall of a Huntly home containing over 7000 wasps. Video / Karla Ferguson
A monster wasp nest - stretching more than a metre long - has been found in the kitchen wall of a Huntly couple's home.
Karla Ferguson and partner Mitch Smith couldn't believe their eyes as more of a portion of the wall was ripped down to reveal the pests' new home, situated by their oven.
Pest removalist Robbie Stapleton, of YourLocal, estimated up to 7000 European or German wasps were living in the wall cavity for between six months and a year.
Ferguson told the Herald it was one of their cats who first noticed something was awry for about a month as she sat intently staring at the ceiling.
It was then she saw, what she thought, were about a dozen wasps flying around the kitchen light.
The nest was massive and full of wasps. Photo / Supplied
The top half of the nest which also reveals the layers the wasps had created. Photo / Supplied
Layers of the wasp nest laid out on the floor of the couple's home. Photo / Supplied
Then it was discovered not only wasps, but in all stages of development, from larvae to close to hatching.
"As he was pulling them out of the wall there were wasps trying to get out of their little cocoon to make their way into the world. It was absolutely insane. He said 'you were about to have an even bigger problem'.
"We were lucky to get [Stapleton] when we did."
The nest was so large that the wall was warm to touch on the outside.
As he got under way with spraying the nest through a hole, it attracted the wasps back to their nest who eventually surrounded Stapleton as he sprayed them.
Karla Ferguson and partner Mitch Smith are now pleased to be rid of the hive which was home to about 7000 German wasps in their kitchen wall. Photo / Supplied
The couple's 14-month-old daughter Allari who they were pleased didn't get stung throughout the ordeal. Photo / Supplied
Stapleton said although unusual, he wasn't overly surprised the wasps had set themselves up in the wall as they enjoyed warm conditions.
Ferguson was pleased and amazed that no one, including any of their 5 cats, 2 dogs or 14-month-old daughter, were stung in the process.
After leaving the pesticide to soak in overnight, Stapleton returned on Monday to try to determine the size of the nest and was shocked by the discovery.
"It's definitely a large wasp nest. It's the biggest I have ever seen .. being in a wall in their kitchen made it a unique find."
It measured 1100mm long and filled the depth of the wall cavity - about 100mm.
It was slightly bigger than a wasp nest he attended in a Cambridge hay barn on Friday which left its owner nursing 40 stings.
"[European] wasps themselves do like to eat what people eat ... they do like to nest in eaves and woodpiles and hay stacks because they're not like a paper wasp, they don't stick on the side of something, they like to find a hole."
That hole was on the outside of the house, just under the roof, measuring a few centimetres in diameter.
A view of the bottom of the nest inside the wall after it was ripped open. Photo / Supplied
The nest was massive and full of wasps. Photo / Supplied
He later discovered a series of empty paper wasp nests, which he believed was likely the result of the arrival of the German wasps and winning a turf war over the property with their rivals.
As for how to prevent a wasp nest erupting in a home, Stapleton said that was tricky and it was more about calling in a professional to get rid of it as soon as it's noticed.
German wasps are smaller and more aggressive than paper wasps, coloured bright yellow with black triangle-shaped marks on their back. Disturbingly, a wasp can sting a victim repeatedly and release a pheromone attracting more wasps to the scene.
