Hi Folks
We have a Hornets nest in the Eaves can anyone recommend a Pest Control firm in Normandy we are close to Le Teilleul
Thanks Wes

I cannot recommend a firm but I think your best bet is to ask at your local mairie, I'm sure they will help.
I wish you luck, I know hornets can be really nasty.

The sapeurs pompiers are usually the first call if the nest if large. If not too big there are some very efficient "bombs"- powerful aerosols which work fine. Just don't stand too close!!

You have to contact the Mairie first to use an approved pest control person within the commune Pompiers don't deal with it at this end of France.

Contact the Le Teilleul Maire HERE

Wait till after sunset then with a power nozzle on a hose blast the nest.
I have done it many times with wasps, they have no idea what to do after dark.

I wouldn't be inclined to make that mistake with Asiatic Wasp's and Hornets a number of folk have been killed in France trying to remove them themselves.

It was the mairie who told us to contact the Pompiers !! Does it vary from commune to commune?

Yes I agree CS; these things are too dangerous to mess with.
I know money can be tight but it will be worth using a professional IMHO.

I once had a big one too. Boasting again........ Pictures, pictures. We want a picture of it!
Here's my tale of a few years ago.
Don't tell the neighbours. They'll all want one!

For what it's worth, they'll be common European hornets. If they're in the eaves, and you aren't as a rule passing anywhere near, they won't bother you - I'd leave them alone, until the frosts kill them off, then remove the nest. The hornet is not aggressive like a wasp, and they tend not to bother people, other than an exploratory and inquisitive visit in the garden. Indoors, rather than flap, encourage them to leave via an open window. They tend to sting as a last resort.

Secondly, unlike wasps, hornets are quite capable of flying at night, and do - so "zapping" them in the dark is not a good idea.

But, if the nest is too close for comfort, and you feel threatened, there are professionals who will deal with it quickly. The pompiers, generally, are no longer interested.

From this link :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe...t#cite_note-15

There is an interesting piece :

European hornets benefit from legal protection in some countries, notably Germany, where it has been illegal to kill a European hornet or nest since January 1, 1987, with a fine up to €50,000

Not sure if this protection applies to France though.

I would not be sure that they are European hornets. The Mairies here in our part of the Charente, have sent circulars asking people to report Asian hornet nests. We have had two of the blighters in the house and they are HUGE.
Be very careful. There have apparently been quite a few deaths.

Asiatic hornets, if anything, are a little smaller than the European variety, and coloured differently. The queens of either species, obviously, are larger. Their sting is no worse than any other hornet, or wasp, though the effect obviously depends upon whether or not you suffer from an allergic reaction. Asiatic hornets tend to build globular nests in trees - often apple trees, whereas the European hornet prefers voids in trees
trunks or branches, rocks, outbuildings, or anywhere under cover.

No idea if you are right C&J, and not trying to start an argument, but perhaps you should tell the Mairies that? They seem pretty convinced as they will pay for the pest control pople to remove or kill them.
The notice they sent us said they were half as big again as European hornets far more deadly and should be approached with caution as they had killed a number of people already. That seems to be what Wikipedia say too
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_hornet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_giant_hornet

Asian hornet nests are certainly notifiable - it does help if you can recognise one as such.