Do you have anyone looking after the house while you are not there? And could you ask them to put traps out?
An unoccupied house is also more appealing to a hornet as they don’t like disturbance.
We took all ours away and refused sparrow boards when we had the roof redone as we are quite happy to share. We love our very noisy flock of sparrow that inhabit the space under the eaves, and we have other birds like tits and the bats that eat insects so keep things in balance. We did have hornets one year, but since we put up fake wasps nests haven’t been bothered by them.
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These are for Asian hornets
We have lots of these hanging in our trees. Sold in Leclerc, Gamm Vert etc You can buy a liquid which is supposed to attract them from the Brico shops along with the trap. I just use jam dissolved in water, sometimes with some alcohol like cassis.
Google Hornet trap and you’ll find lots of DIY suggestions as well.
Why do you think pointing the house would make a difference?
Is it just hornets? Or wasps as well? If wasps as well, they make nests everywhere - for example they love our phormium leaves - they make their nests on the sunny side of the plant in the shade of the leaf.
The heat this year plus a very abundant crop of many fruits after last year’s dry summer means that we’ve had an excess of hornets and wasps, some nests are around the house, others in the trees. I really do wonder whether it’s worth your repointing, especially as you say it’s going to be expensive.
What’s making you so anxious? Are you allergic to their stings? Through much of the year European hornets and wasps are not aggressive but there are things you can do to minimise contact - as I said above, get rid of fruit, especially rotting fruit. Also, I believe, they are attracted to perfumes - I don’t wear any so wouldn’t know. Use citronella candles - I find the smoke deters them, though I think @Corona thinks they are attracted. Someone years ago said they were attracted to cosmos flowers -it’s worth keeping an eye out for where they go. They will also seek out dry/rotting wood to add to their nest and they need water - sometimes setting out a table for them with water, jam, old bits of wood, away from where you are can keep them content.
It just seems such a shame this is making you anxious and you are facing spending a lot of money for marginal benefit.
Thank you so much for all your advice. It’s certainly made me think twice about the pointing. I may bite the bullet and go down next year, vulnerable but armed with lots of traps. I did buy the one that you sent from Mortis but it was ignored. Maybe I didn’t put enough jam/water in.
I never wear perfume in France and do light candles and coils. I’ll try leaving a picnic out for them… I really do appreciate your sharing your experience and knowledge of living in France - thank you everyone.
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Unfortunately not. I can ask our cleaner to go in once a. month but don’t know if that would suffice.