Wasps!

I think I'm going to name this year 'Year of the Infestations'. First rats and mice, then bees, ants and flying ants and now wasps (not to mention the brits, but we bring them on ourselves).

They're not really wasps actually, they're known in French as 'Frelons' and they are evil little bastards. Born angry. They're like hornets only nastier. Anyway, we always get some around the place, especially late summer, but the last couple of weeks they've been a lot worse than ever. They bang on the windows at night trying to get into the light and make a right racket. They have been flying around outside the house and some of the gites a lot and then a few days ago Adrian sussed out their nest site. The roof of our house is not all on one level and where it drops down between levels there is a stone wall, just outside the roof window of my parent's bedroom and above the girls bedrooms (which are on the ground floor).

The pompiers (fire service, who deal with this kind of thing) were called on Friday morning and we were advised that the local pompiers would call back sometime to make an appointment to check it out. Oh yes, and it would cost €100,00. An hour later there are two pompier guys on the doorstep, ready for action (with the frelons, not with me).

After shutting all the windows and doors, we had to give our remaining guests the orders to either remain indoors or evacuate to the other side of the garden for the next hour. The eldest pompier made the younger guy suit up and climb up onto the roof and spray some powder stuff into the wall and over the frelons. They were going mad all over him, but he was so well covered he could hardly see anything and the other was shouting directions from a distance. He couldn't see the nest because it is so far into the wall cavity, but they think it was quite new and therefore not too big and then they reminded me how wasps like to eat wood, especially oak, which just happens to be what holds up the roof (so far), so it was good to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Anyway, they didn't charge us because they said it wasn't our fault we had the frelon nest (when is it anybody's fault?) and the monies charged go straight to the tax man anyway. We were told to keep away from that part of the front of the house for the next three days or so because of annoyed dying wasps flying about, but they seem to have disappeared already (hope so, don't like to speak too soon). I went down that way earlier today to get some green beans because I thought it was safe, and then got completely freaked out when a large bee flew out at me!