22ft Wasp Nest Found In Abandoned Home In Spain (PICTURE)

LOOK: 22ft Wasp Nest Found In Abandoned Spanish Home

A mammoth wasp nest has been found in an abandoned house in Spain.

The seven-metre (22ft) nest was discovered by police who were contacted by worried neighbours in San Sebastien de la Gomera, Think Spain reported.

Experts say the nest must have been made by an invasive species of wasp which had migrated from Africa as the native variety would not build one so large.

The 22ft wasp nest was found in an abandoned home in the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are just 100km from Morocco by water.

The home has been cordoned off as police try to locate the owners of the property...and presumably decide what to do with all those wasps.

According to National Geographic, wasps are distinguishable from bees by their pointed lower abdomens and the narrow "waist".

It adds: "Despite the fears they sometimes evoke, wasps are extremely beneficial to humans.

"Wasps are so adept at controlling pest populations that the agriculture industry now regularly deploys them to protect crops."

The venom from a wasp sting typically causes a swollen, itchy, red mark to form on the skin which can be painful but harmless in most cases. A small percentage of the population is allergic to wasp or bee stings, which can lead to anaphylaxis.

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