Hornets

[GOW54]

Has anybody any experience of dealing with hornets (frelons)?

Our (unused)chimney (LOT Region) was chosen as a suitable nesting site last year and their comings and goings caused much concern to ourselves and guests. Despite our efforts to block their access through fireplace they came into the house in large numbers. We are told they may not return to the same nest site this year and if they do, someone can come within 48 hours but since I shall be there with a small baby this year I would like to plan ahead.

[Leschenauds]

Daed easy, phone your local Pompiers and they will be out toute suite to solve the problem for you - ours don't charge but are very happy with a glass or two of wine.

www.leschenauds.com

[Leschenauds]

Daed easy, phone your local Pompiers and they will be out toute suite to solve the problem for you - ours don't charge but are very happy with a glass or two of wine.

www.leschenauds.com

[Alcazar]

You can also buy the "bombe" that the pompiers use from decent hardware stores, mine cost about €15 and has dealt with TWO nests so far!

Fingers crossed for THIS summer!

Alcazar

[La vieille]

We just had a wasps' nest destroyed by a private company the pompiers referred us to.   They came out the same day and charged 91€.

[Iceni]

Being a hornet phobe, I have read a lot about them and tried not to run screaming at the very drone of one. Luckily we do not have a nest in the house but do have a nest nearby so the following is not for anyone who might be living near them and is not meant as an inducement to do so.

I was chatting (in real life) to another forum member about the solitary wasp invasion and he said something like - once the hornets arrive they will deal with them - and - well yes they have, we are almost wasp free. We have a large elder tree near my compost bin and I noticed that it is again covered in blackfly. I kept hearing the dreaded drone and got up enough courage to go and see what henry (should that be henrietta) the hornet was up to, they were clearing the branches of the blackfly, as were other large wasps. They are also trying to grab the ruddy cranefies which are everywhere and I almost trod on one the other day - she was far more scared than me and made a quick exit - for some very stupid reason I did not.

Ho hum, I will not try to get too near the hornets - well until August when they become a ruddy nusance and the traps go up, when I am afraid that all is fair in love and hornet/wasp war.

[Lori]

We recently had what looked like honey bees in our chimney. I kept noticing them in our living room and then heard what sounded like hundreds of them in the chimney. Went out, brought some wood in, opened the fireplace door (carefully) and lit up a fire. Let it run all afternoon and into the evening. Luckily it was not a really warm day here (Vaucluse). It has only been a few days, but, so far, I have not heard or seen any bees. I do hope this works, but it was really nice to know about the Pompiers as I had no idea what the "pest control" people are called here.

[Mrh74]

Iceni,

You mention trappig the beasts, I have a similar fear of Hornets as you, we (hopefully) don't have a nest but we do have the occasional one or two buzzing around the house and were thinking of putting out some traps, but what do you 'bait' traps with to attract Hornets?

Cheers

Mark

[Alcazar]

Aren't they meat eaters? What sort of trap are we talking?

I've used the ones made from pop botles one year on camp, we baited it with pop, and caught about 64 million wasps, plus a few hornets and 3 giant wood wasps

Normally I don't bother, but there seemed to be a palgue of insects that year.

Alcazar

[Iceni]

You can buy sachets of 'wasp catcher' which also traps hornets and flies. I take a 2 litre water bottle and cut the top off. You then turn the top upside down and put the top back on the bottle. Make up the sachet as instructed and hang in a tree where there are wasps. I think that you should not try to use them this time of the year as wasps and hornets are spending all their time killing blackfly and caterpillars - wait until later in the year when the nests are fully formed and they are being stupid and then you will catch loads of them.

I find the small packs of pineapple juice + water works well when the bottle has sat in the sun for a day or two and gone off - the flies and wasps come running and then the hornets come hunting them. DO NOT USE SUGAR WATER, you will kill the bees and there are not enough of them due to the chemicals they use on maize (luckily our farmers are organic). Never use honey, it may be infected and again could kill whole colonies of bees.

I only use traps when I have no alternative (ie when the ruddy things are after sugar and are a nuisance or danger).