You might know of the fictional Radroaches from Fallout, but did you know South Carolina has radioactive wasps? The US Department of Energy recently reported the discovery of a wasp nest in a “Controlled Area” within the Savannah River Site, a plant where nuclear warheads have been manufactured. The workers who found the nest sprayed it to kill the wasps and then bagged it as radiological waste.
While the report claimed that “No further action required in the field,” online users can help but wonder if these radioactive wasps were actually contained. “Sounds like we can expect a radioactive-zombie superwasp invasion in our future,” joked a Reddit commenter. “As if wasps weren’t bad enough already...” another user sighed. Fallout fans in the comment sections were quick to point out that Cazadors, giant radioactive mutant wasps, might become a reality. On the other hand, some say it’s a solid plot for a Marvel series. “[It’s a] New superhero origin story, “jokes a Redditor.
The Department of Energy’s report also said that the nest was probed, with radiation levels at 100,000 dpm. “This contamination level is greater than 10 times the total contamination values in 10 CFR 835,” the report says, which is a bit worrying, seeing how wild wasps were able to build a home there. However, it should be noted that the nest is labeled as “legacy radioactive contamination,” meaning that it’s unrelated to the loss of contamination control. Also, the ground and surrounding area where the wasp nest was found “did not have any contamination.”
So, those hoping for a nuclear fallout experience with this wasp nest will likely be disappointed, given how the workers quickly got rid of the nest and secured the area. However, if you happen to spot any ‘positively glowing’ wasp around your house someday, at least you’ll have an idea of where it came from.
