Even an Insect Expert Was ‘Terrified’ Confronting This Massive Wasp Nest

A Florida entomologist — a fancy name for an insect expert — is giving an up close and personal look at a wasp nest that he estimates to date back to the time of the dinosaurs.

Jonathan Simkins with Insect I.Q. specializes in insect pest control in Florida, and recently had the opportunity to tackle a yellow jacket wasp nest measuring six and a half feet tall by eight feet wide, according to WFLA-TV.

“I have never seen a nest this large in my entire life,” WFLA reported Simkins, who has 20 years in the industry, saying. “This is the prehistoric nest from the dinosaur ages.”

He video documented approaching the nest, which is the size of some cars, and the wasps begin checking him out, creating quite a buzzing sound. WFLA reported that the nest was located in Central Florida, but wouldn’t specify the exact location, presumably to keep people safe.

“The nest was extremely dangerous because I had so many insects on me, they kept finding a way in,” he said, even though he was covered in protective gear.

“I have to be honest with you, I was terrified at one point, and there were several times that I had to pull out and get a breather. My heart rate was racing, I had hundreds of them on my veil,” Simkins told WFLA.

He explained in WFLA’s report that this nest specifically had thousands of queens, not just one like in smaller nests. In total, he estimated it had more than a million insects. More average size nests see between 1,000 and 5,000 insects.

Simkins performed some sort of treatment to kill the wasps, but WFLA says the method is a trade secret. The video report shows Simkins going back to the nest the next day to find all the wasps dead. To prove this, the footage shows many lying on the ground and even Simkin’s isn’t wearing his protective head gear.