Son astounded after discovering fascinating natural phenomenon in parents' attic: 'Looks like an alien spaceship'

An attic can contain a number of curiosities and surprises. One Redditor, though, was truly floored after a discovery in the upper storage space of their parents' house.

"Hornets' nest in my parents' attic," they captioned a post in the r/GardenWild community, including a couple of pictures of the incredible construction.

To illustrate the scale of the hornets' hard work, they held a banana next to the otherworldly natural phenomenon. It was at least three times the length of the fruit and possibly 10 times as wide. 

"This looks like an alien spaceship," one person commented. Its poblano pepper shape and undulating layers certainly make it seem like it came from another planet. 

"It's been abandoned since early October," the original poster said. "At first, my parents weren't exactly happy to have hornets so close to them. But after I explained the benefits to them a little, they made their peace with them."

The images set off a discussion on the online forum, with people questioning whether it was really a good idea to entertain the presence of the winged insects.

"Man, I could maybe make peace if I had this in my yard, but inside of my house?" one person said. "This looks like bald-faced hornets, and they will tear you up to defend that nest."

The OP went on to explain that it was more likely a European hornet nest, adding that they are "completely harmless." While they might sting, they aren't an aggressive species. 

Some hornets have a fearsome reputation — especially the Asian hornet, which is establishing itself as an invasive species in some countries — but they also serve a beneficial function for the health of the planet and for the human food supply.

According to the Wildlife Trust, hornets are important pollinators, and they also eat various species that feed on crops. 

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Of course, it's a good idea to make sure what species you have in your garden (or attic) before leaving them to their own devices. The Guardian detailed that Asian hornets can kill 50 bees a day, while research from the University of Exeter described how they eat hundreds of different insect species, including essential pollinators. 

But other hornets can be particularly helpful if you grow your own food, as they help plants to produce fruits and vegetables and keep harmful critters at bay — essentially acting as a natural pesticide. 

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