Why did I see see Wasp scratching a fence?

Question

I was working on my car today and saw on my wooden fence a relatively large wasp scratching the wood. I'm in central England and it wasn't a hornet just your average larger than normal wasp. It seem to be scratching a line in the wood and moving backwards as it did it, creating a line of scratched wood. You could actually hear the scratching noises and it was really loud if you put your ear to the fence. Just wondering if anyone knows what this wasp was doing?

Answer 1

i know wasps forage for water  and also for materials to make a nest for the queen. maybe that could be why?? im goig to google it cuz now im curious. if i find a good answer i will let u know

Answer 2

the wasp makes paper

from the wood pulp

Answer 3

Sounds like a dirt dobber to me...they like wood and they are harmless.

What does it look like??

Maybe it was a European Waspr or Japanese Paper Wasp

Answer 4

probably one of them hiphop types... just tryin' to scratch out a beat.  get its groove on you know...

Answer 5

Wasps make their nests from paper, and they make that from wood pulp they scrape off fences and other wooden objects. It is an audible sound, and they will quit doing it once the present queen dies.

Answer 6

They eat my unfinished wooden bench too.  They are doing their own Home Makeover...

Answer 7

it was trying to make an indentation to begin building a cone. I noticed the same thing in the corner of my shed door and didnt think anything of it.. next thinkg you know.. had a nest right in the same spot. If you have some wasp spray.. spray that spot on the fence

Answer 8

i think it was tryin to make a hive or something