Woman’s mysterious find in attic

The homeowner, from Auckland, New Zealand, took to a bunch of snaps of the mysterious find and posted it in a Facebook group hoping someone could shed more light.

“Anyone know what kind of nest this is?” she asked, using a stunned emoji.

At first, the object appears to look a mountain of plaster stuck to a wall, but upon closer inspection, it’s definitely a nest of some kind.

“I think you need an exorcist for that,” one woman joked.

“How do I un-see these photos? Instructions please,” another person commented, while a third person said the “creepy” nest looks like something out of the Netflix series Stranger Things.

RELATED: Truth behind tiny black dots on kitchen tiles

Others were quick to point out the massive nest belonged to German wasps, also known as European wasps – and they would be correct.

The insects are commonly found across New Zealand and also in Australia but typically inhabit forested and rural areas.

Ecologist and University of Sydney professor Dieter Hochuli said they are an introduced species and are a significant pest.

“They are definitely more noticeable in human modified areas and well-established in the southeastern parts of Australia,” Prof Hochuli told news.com.au.

“You can also find them in Perth and Adelaide. They are quite aggressive and attack when the nests are disturbed.”

He advised the best way to remove a German wasp nest would be to call a pest control specialist.

“They will be able to identify if the nest is still active and go about the business of removing them safely.”

RELATED: Australia’s ‘spider rain’ explained

Prof Hochuli said the wasps are a known danger to humans, especially for those who are allergic.

“This can cause anaphylaxis but it isn’t particularly common. People who know they are susceptible will often carry kits to treat it if they do go into shock.”

He said they become active during the warmer parts of the year with the queen looking after the grubs until they become the “first group of workers”.

“That’s when things really ramp up with nest construction and you start to see those really big nests emerging.”

“The nest just keeps growing over summer and then it all starts again in autumn with a new group of males and queens.”

The Auckland woman later updated her post to confirm nest belonged to German wasps and thanked everyone for their “input and a good laugh”.

“They won’t reinhabit a dormant nest and it will naturally break down over time. It’s made from chewed wood and saliva,” she added.