We think it is a giants wasps nest down by the river in Varen.
What do readers think?
Hi Val
Your photo is of a nest of the asiatic hornet, frelon asiatique, also called the asian predatory wasp.
As an invasive species it is officially a pest in France and has been reported recently in England as well as Spain.
The main problem is that it attacks honey bees and kills off the colonies which is a disaster for bee-keepers and pollination of many crops, especially fruit.
At this time of year the nest has been abandoned and they won’t re-use the same nest. However at the end of summer a number of queens are produced which hibernate and probably 20 or so from each nest survive to create a new colony the next year.
Any large frelons/hornets which you see when the warm weather starts in April/May are queens. They look for food and a new nest site so that is the time to put out traps. Once the new colony is established the queen stays at home laying eggs and the workers take over the job of hunting for food and nest building materials. So when you see smaller ones from late April onwards it implies that some new colonies are already established.
Any frelon asiatique nests seen active in the spring/summer should be reported to the Mairie as they have a duty to eliminate them.
Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_predatory_wasp
French association against frelon asiatique: http://anti-frelon-asiatique.com/dangers/agressivite-du-frelon-asiatique-et-danger-pour-lhomme/
Best wishes
John
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