Is mairie responsible in France for removing hornets’ nest?

Reader question: I have a hornets’ nest in my garden. Is it part of the mairie’s responsibilities to remove it? What else do they do?

Maires are the first port of call for many issues and are especially important in rural areas, where people often visit for information about public and local life.

Generally speaking, if the mairie cannot provide the service you are looking for, it will certainly be able to point you in the right direction – and regarding hornets’ nests, it is the best place to start.

Asian hornets have caused concern and some mairies have special measures in place concerning them.

Some communes do pay for the removal of nests on private property, though this is not, strictly speaking, their responsibility unless the nest is a threat to public safety. If so, they may call on the pompiers or a private firm.

If the mairie cannot act, you should call a private firm. The mairie may be able to recommend one, otherwise search with terms such as désinsectiseurs or déstruction de nids de frelons.

A mairie’s responsibilities are wide-ranging, with responsibilities from managing the local budget and setting local property tax rates to making decisions about primary schools, including the organisation and payment of school meals. They organise local elections, run the municipal police, host weddings, and hand out parking fines.

Mairies are also where you go to register a birth or death.

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