Country diary: The wasps' nest in our shed is a work of art, a family saga

Buxton, Derbyshire: For 10 weeks the door of our shed was shut while a colony got to work. Now, finally, we can admire their achievement.

Published 1 September 2026 166 words
ENVIRONMENT A2
Country diary: The wasps' nest in our shed is a work of art, a family saga

I saw a small paper nest in our shed in June. Some wasps came towards me, so we closed the shed door. We could not open it for 10 weeks.

We knew that many wasps were busy inside the shed. They went in through a small opening. We have opened the doors again, and the wasps have almost finished their work.

The nest is now the size of a football. The wasps made it from different coloured paper pulp. A big nest can have 5,000 worker wasps. The nest has many layers, like a house. Inside, there are places where baby wasps were raised.

The wasps caught many insects from our garden to feed their babies. The older wasps were also fed by the younger ones. The mother wasp controlled the others to help the family grow.

This paper nest is like a new family story and a work of art. It was made using insects from our garden. It was a summer of amazing work.

Vocabulary

nest — A home built by animals, like birds or insects.
colony — A group of the same type of animals living together.
admire — To look at something with pleasure and respect.
opening — A space or hole that allows you to go in or out.
pulp — A soft, wet mass of material, used here to make paper.
raised — Brought up or cared for when young.

Discussion Questions

  1. Why did the writer close the shed door?
  2. How big was the wasps' nest?
  3. What did the wasps use to build their nest?

Based on an article from The Guardian.

Read the original article