andyh4

Never used one but I am fairly sure they do not work on bindweed whose roots can go down many metres, just ready to resprout whenever something happens above. I am currently engaged in a war of attrition myself, chopping off tops and digging as much root as I can out every few days. I think I am winning but it is a slow painful job and I dread to think what will happen if I lapse in my attacks for a week or so.

I am not sure that Xylophene is very effective against termites.  Termites eat deep into the wood and any spray is only going to soak into the first few centimetres at best. Having used the product for wood worm, I have never found it to be thick and like Pierre a simple garden sprayer - with lots of safety gear worked well (make sure the mask is suitable for aerosols a simple dust mask does not work properly.   Could be that it is the water based solution and it is just too cold and is starting to freeze.   Thinning if you have to, should be as per the instructions on the tin - but simply, is you have the oil based solvent then white spirit shoudl do the trick, and if it is the water based one (which is in vogue due to VOCs) water should be OK.   Personally I would get the professionals in for termites.  I assume you have reported it to the maire at the mairie

Allan I can report that the local gendarmerie have carried out an an exercise some months ago where they were pulling all foreign plated cars (out of the holiday periods) - aminly Dutch and belgian round here - and checking documentation, registration, insurance etc.  From the questions it does seem as if they were looking for vehicles that should have had French registration, but were still on foreign plates.  Since our car was legit, I cannot say what would have been the consequence if there was a mismatch - foreign plate, French insurance, so while there does not appear to be any great push in this area, it would be a mistake to assume it never happens.