What’s in the wall??
Hundreds of WASPS!
OK, maybe I exaggerated a little bit to get your attention. (I don’t even feel guilty about that at all.) Wasps were in the walls. At some point. A while ago. Then they packed up their crap and moved out. The house was too crappy, even for them. When I demo’d the kitchen, I found a huge (and, thankfully, abandoned) wasp nest. Wasp apartment complex, really. It had multiple levels. And an elevator.
This wasp compound spanned the width between two studs (that’s 14 ½” in case you’re not a fake carpentry expert like I am) and about 3 feet down. Once I was satisfied it was uninhabited, I quickly disposed of it. Doesn’t it look weird close up? Unfortunately, close up is all you get to see because I don’t have any pictures of the whole thing. (I know. I suck. Who knew I’d be blogging about it years later?) So here’s the wall where it used to be.
Trust me. It was huge. And terrifying. But let’s move on and look at the nasty, brown fiberboard that is now exposed. I hate this stuff. It feels so cheap and gross and… fibery. And my whole house is sheathed in it. (Thank you, 1970.) This wall, in particular, had a lot of problems with things that are supposed to stay on the outside coming through to the inside. Namely, wasps and water. Here’s a close up of some fiberboard. You’re interested, right?
Like I said. Gross. So, in order to fix the water problems and keep out any future free loading wasps, this whole wall had to go. And it did.
That’s my cousin, Tommy, putting in a new sliding glass door. Of course, the one that came with the house was… (let’s all say it together…) crappy! Tommy does everything I can’t do myself because I don’t have man strength. He’s awesome and he knows everything there is to know about houses. (And he’s single, ladies…) So this is how the back wall turned out.
I get how this might not be exciting for you, but for me it means windows that don’t leak and no unwelcome pests. (Of the insect variety. I can’t control who stops by.) And, hey, you read it to the end, so you must have been at least a little bit interested. Thanks for sticking it out! And if you really want to impress me, go ahead and subscribe by typing in your email in the box below. I love when people do that.
9 Comments
Flick
Fascinating! …and yes it is interesting seriously. I have always wanted a wasp nest tey look so beautiful wihout the wasps though!
My Crappy House
I had never seen a nest before. It was really amazing – I can’t believe they build that themselves. It looked just like carved wood!
Victoria Tims
Well, that was gross…glad you are rid of them!! When are you inviting me over so I can see all the updates? Huh?
My Crappy House
You can come by any time you like! You have an open invitation, my friend.
Victoria Tims
Aww, shucks!!! Ok, I will call first but I will be coming by soon!!!
My Crappy House
Awesome! Get over here.
Aferal
Thought the nest looked beautiful…close-up…&uninhabited. AND I am the girl who almost died from a wasp sting@age 7 (Seriously)
I kept scrolling back to the pics of the wasp apartments( Ha!)& thinking, ‘I’d frame that, hang it up as dramatic focal piece!’ Forget the attempted- murdering – vermins, it just looks oddly beautiful.
P.S. Totally digging your blog! Found it today via AT. Probably gonna stay up all night reading! =^_^*=
Aferal
=^_^*=
My Crappy House
Thanks for reading! That wasp nest really was beautiful. It looked like carved wood swirls. It was really fragile though – like paper, if I remember right. It amazes me that bugs can build all of that! I was VERY happy that they had already moved by the time I found their home. I’ve never been stung before. For all I know, I’m allergic too! That’s very big of you, to move past their attempt at ending your young life. Wasps are apparently talented architects, but also little bitches…