Pesticide
A farmer sprays pesticide in a rice paddy field near Subang, Indonesia's West Java province, May 27, 2014. Asia's governments are scrambling to head off the potential impact of a weather phenomenon that in the past has driven food prices to levels that sparked social unrest. They are aiming to reduce the impact of the so-called El Nino, a weather pattern that can bring drought to Australia, Southeast Asia and India. Reuters

According to Sky News, a 5,000-insect-strong wasp nest that was covering a bed had to be tackled by a pest controller, who has said that it was the most unusual job of his 45-year career.

The wasps had taken over the bed of a five bedroom home in Hampshire after entering through a small window that went undetected by the owner of the house. The wasps managed to build a nest measuring 3 feet in width and 1 feet in depth.

John Birkett of Longwood Services exterminators told The Independent that the owner had asked him to save a knitted quilt that held sentimental value on which the wasps had built their nest over. When he tried to pull the quilt from under the nest, the wasps burst out like an explosion and he said it was not possible to notice how many of them were there but it is believed that such a large nest usually holds about 5,000 of them.

He estimated that the nest held about 5,000 wasps, thousands of grubs and 500 young queens.

Mr. Birkett said that he had dealt with rats, bed bugs and 'homes one would not want to live in' but this encounter with the wasps in St. Cross was one of the most unusual in his career. He was surprised when he saw the nest and his client was terrified.

He explained that he could not leave the door open much as then the wasps would enter other parts of the house. He was dressed in protective clothing and his weapon was the insect spray and he spent hours fumigating the room as the wasps made attempts to sting him. Within an hour, he was able to bring the situation under control.

His next step was to break the nest into pieces which is when he found that the insects had chewed the mattress as well as the bed pillars.

He exclaimed that the nest was the most wonderful piece of art and that he had mixed feelings about killing the nests but he went ahead as they were pests.

The nests are made of paper-like substance that the wasps produce by chewing wood and making it into a pulp that they hold together with the help of their saliva.