Nathaniel Hinz
Contributor

 

“They’re a nuisance,” said Lewis and Clark Community College student Dillon Niebel. 

Wasp nests are often found on the sides of buildings. Particularly old ones. Wasps make their nests in warm dry places. These are qualities found in the stonework. 

L&C’s building is made out of stone, wood and metal. Old jagged masonry has plenty of places to build a nest. 

The trees on campus provide material for the wasp nests, in the form of dead fallen branches. Often built out of mud and chewed and regurgitated wood pulp, according to Wasp Removal UK.

It is likely the wasps at L&C have nested above the windows in the Fobes building due to the old wooden window frames. 

The benefits of nesting on an old window are many. Old windows leak heat from the building. So in the winter, the wasps will be warm. While during rainy seasons like November, the wasps will stay dry due to the overhang.

People can do things that will lessen the chance of a wasp bothering them, like not wearing bright colors or spilling sweet drinks on themselves. Wasps are attracted to these things. They will also fight over them if other food sources are scarce. 

Wasps also semi-hibernate through winter.