'˜Beast' wasp nest containing 20,000 insects discovered in home by Hampshire pest controller

Pest controller Shane Jones was called to the family home after a mum was repeatedly stung by 30 wasps in her bathroom.

The woman was confused as she could find no signs of the wasps outside her house in Newbury, Berkshire.

But when Shane spotted wasps buzzing around the bathroom extractor fan, he climbed up into the loft and discovered the bulging giant nest wrapped around a duct pipe.

And he recorded the encounter for the children who had wanted to see him in action in his protective suit but had to go to school.

Shane, who owns RIDTEK pest control based in Basingstoke, in Hampshire, filmed himself going up into the loft and then switching on and off his torch to track down the nest.

He then had to switch off the light as it was antagonising the wasps who then stung him before he retreated.

He said: '˜It was a ripper of a wasps' nest - it was a beast.

'˜It had to be two or three feet wide and was wrapped around the pipe where the steam comes out from the bathroom - but the wasps were coming down it.

'˜It was a busy spot and a hairy spot up there.

'What makes it worse is the bathroom was connected to a bedroom.

'˜That's your worst nightmare, having wasps in your bedroom.'

'˜We have been seeing a lot of bigger nests'

Shane, who has worked with crocodiles and snakes in his native Australia, estimated the giant nest had been growing in size at the house over the past three months.

He was called in to help last Thursday and took 45 minutes to eradicate the Queen wasp and her colony using insecticide.

The honeycomb-like monster nest was left in the roof on the request of the homeowners who wanted her children to see it.

Shane, who has five years' experience as a pest controller in the UK, added: '˜With the hot weather, we have been seeing a lot of bigger nests like that.

'˜You can't always get to it and see just how big it is but with this one, I was able to make a video to show the children who were at school.'