HENDERSON COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Cheryl and Peter Stippich had recently found a large, intricate nest at a shed they have in the woods on their property in Henderson County, and they weren’t sure exactly who the creators were.
They took to social media to find out.
“I had posted the photo on Facebook and got all kind of replies,” Cheryl Stippich told News 13. “A couple people did identify it correctly.”
And that correct response was that it was a European hornets’ nest, measuring 18 inches high and 12 inches wide. The hornets are common in North Carolina, and their nests are tan, made with decayed wood fibers, according to the North Carolina State Extension website.
Before that correct response, she said there were a slew of other guesses – some serious and some hilarious.
VISITORS FLOCK TO BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY FOR STUNNING FALL FOLIAGE AND COZY WEATHER
“Some suggested paper wasps, mud daubers or white face hornets. And then there were the funny ones like ‘whatever it is needs to be added to the mortgage and responsible for their part,'” she said.
Other responses were “Pinata? wack it and video,” “a pod from Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “have you seen the movie Cocoon? Could have bigger issues”
But others included responses that Cheryl Stippich also thought of, like “a true work of art,” and “an incredible piece of nature’s work.”
EXPERT EXPLAINS HOW WEATHER INFLUENCES FALL COLORS ON BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY
“I also got suggestions to leave it until winter or put it in the freezer to make sure there weren’t any active hornets left or to spray it with shellac and use it as a decoration,” she said.
She said when her husband first found it, he was startled.
“At first, he thought it was an owl. He came in and got me saying you’ve got to see this. So, I went out to see what he was talking about and came right back in to get my phone to take pictures. Neither of us had ever seen anything like this before. Most of the wasp/hornet nest I’ve seen are usually smooth sided and grey,” she said.
Cheryl Stippich said with the tan and beige coloring and the texture, it made her think of some of the rock formations out West.
“It really was fascinating. It seemed to be inactive, since there were no insects flying about, but my husband did spray it to see if anything came out. He did find one hornet and I was able to identify it from the markings on it as a European hornet,” she said.
The nest was attached to the shed ceiling and partially to the outside wall.
“When we cut it open to expose the inside, as you can see from the picture, there’s many tiers of cell formations. The nest was very delicate and fell apart easily. I plan on passing it on to a friend, who is delighted to get it, to give to her grandchildren for show and tell in school,” Cheryl Stippich said.
Source link
