What on earth is this below my floorboards?

[stavros.london]

So, I was lifting my floorboards on the first floor when I find this alien looking thing under the boards in a corner on the external wall.

Anyone knows what this is and what I'm supposed to do with it?

Thanks!

 

[JohnD]

wasp nest.

Verify that it is an old one and now dead.

Carefully detach it from the joists with a large sharp knife and donate it to a science teacher.

search for a water leak or other source of damp because they make the nest by chewing wood into paper.

 

[stavros.london]

Thank you John, you're absolutely right. I've now removed it.

There's nothing on that side that could have leaked so I'm now checking where they may have come from as there are no airbricks in the property. I'll be filling in those gaps between the joists and the wall with expanding foam (unless there's something better I could use??)

Cheers.

 

[Handymanjo]

Looks like wet rot in the joist as well as wasp net ?

 

[stavros.london]

Naaah, I checked with a moisture meter and it's fine. This is the same at the edges of all the joists where they rest on the external wall and is probably some preservative or similar treatment.

 

[Handymanjo]

Dark stains on end of joist is a sign of water perpetration ?
This then causes the start of wet and dry rot in joists..

 

[vinn]

stavros.london,
its preservative