By gradually providing different paper shades, the wasps turned their homes into a functional rainbow of different colors.

This isn’t the first time scientists have encountered insects producing colorful materials with the aid of artificial coloring.

In 2012, residue from an M&M plant caused local bees to make blue and green honey, and a similar—though admittedly more tragic—incident involving bees and the dye used in Maraschino cherries occured recently in New York.