A woman was left horrified after finding a mysterious object in her garden, and she was even more terrified when people went on to tell her what it actually was
For those fortunate enough to have a garden or outdoor area to enjoy, it can be absolutely fascinating to witness the diverse array of blooms that might emerge, or the creatures and birds that may pay a visit.
Gardens serve as sanctuaries for countless species of wildlife, making it quite normal to stumble upon something unexpected.
However, when one woman ventured into her garden and discovered a peculiarly-shaped item, she was completely baffled about what it was.
Posting in the Dull Women’s Club Facebook group, she uploaded a photograph of the mysterious find and commented: “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 y trypohobia into overdrive [sic]”.
The photograph revealed an item with a rather papery appearance featuring an elaborate design, reminiscent of honeycomb, within its interior.
The woman mentioned it had set off her trypophobia, which is the phobia or fear towards patterns containing holes.
Spotting clusters of holes in food, plants or other common objects can spark feelings of dread in certain individuals.
Despite the woman’s bewilderment regarding the object, fellow group members were swift to inform her of its true nature – a wasp’s nest.
One member explained: “That’s a wasps nest I’m pretty sure. I think if you hang it up near your house it prevents new wasps from nesting nearby cause they are territorial.”
Another contributed: “Looks a lot like a paper wasp nest. They are nasty b**gers.”
Confirming they were correct, another user responded: “Beekeeper here. If it’s papery, it’s a wasp nest. If it feels like beeswax, it’s from a beehive. This looks wasp-ish to me. Either way, it’s uninhabited. There might be some larvae or eggs in it, but without adults to feed them and keep them at the right temperature they’ll quickly die. Given the mold on the far right edge, this was probably from a hive that died awhile ago.”
Nevertheless, some users were left utterly revolted upon discovering the nature of the mysterious object. “OMG. I have this phobia and didn’t know it was a thing! My scalp crawles. It’s horrid!” exclaimed one individual.
“That sounds horrible,” chimed in another.
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, paper wasps belong to the Vespidae family and are described as “striking in appearance”.
These insects measure approximately 16mm in length and sport orange antennae and wings, whilst their bodies display either black or brown colouring adorned with slender yellow stripes, “paired with segmental spots”.
Britannica elaborates: “The sting is painful but less toxic to humans than that of the more familiar species of wasps and hornets. The nest is made of a paperlike material, fashioned from wood that the females have chewed from dead trees, fence posts, or unpainted building lumber and mixed with saliva to form a paste. There are about 100 cells for larvae in a single nest, which is attached by a short stalk to some sort of protective overhang.”