A hornets' nest is a violent situation or one with a lot of dispute. (If you create the problem, you 'stir up a hornets' nest'.)
stir up a hornets' nest
stir up a hornets' nest Make trouble, cause a commotion, as in Asking for an audit of the treasurer's books stirred up a hornets' nest in the association. This metaphoric term, likening hornets to angry humans, dates from the first half of the 1700s.
An nets idiom dictionary is a great resource for writers, students, and anyone looking to expand their vocabulary. It contains a list of words with similar meanings with nets, allowing users to choose the best word for their specific context.
Dizionario di parole simili, diverso tenore, sinonimi, di invocazione per Idioma nets