WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Vang Tsal has a room with a view -- a room with a view of the inner workings of a giant (and busy) wasp nest.
Tsal didn't seek out the world of wasps; instead, they offered him a front row seat by building their nest right up against a window in the attic of Tsal's house. He took the opportunity to share his vantage point on YouTube.
Tsal first posted a 40-second video to YouTube and shared his clip on Reddit, writing: "Wasps were kind enough to build this nest in a double-glass window which can not be opened and it is isolated in the attic. No worries for me or the neighbors."
Another video followed, this one with an external microphone. "Do you hear the thousands little footsteps?" Tsal asked his YouTube visitors.
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Most wasp species are solitary parasitoids, not building nests at all. But these -- as one can easily see -- are of the social variety, preferring the company of others and building large honeycomb-like nests using mostly wood pulp.
One YouTube commenter, Abraham Nixon, told Tsal there was nothing to worry about: "Amateur biologist here, these are Honey Bee's not Wasp's, no real reason to worry yourself as they tend to be docile creatures with a gentle disposition."
But Nixon is certainly mistaken, as the wasps appear to be (as Tsal eventually confirmed on Reddit) European hornets -- one of the largest types of social wasps, and possessing a sting much more painful than most wasp and bee stings. Still, hornets are generally not aggressive unless directly threatened. European hornets were introduced to North America in the middle of the 19th century and have thrived there ever since.
