SHARE
COPY LINK

LIVING IN FRANCE

Elections, visas, and stinging beasts: 6 essential articles for life in France

This week’s must-reads from The Local France explain how Britons here can register to vote in July’s General Election, what you need to know about swapping your driving licence for a French one, whether a language course will get you a French visa and what to do if you find a hornet, wasp, or bees' nest on your property in France.

Asian hornets on their nest
Asian hornets on their nest. (Photo by ALAIN JOCARD / AFP)

Yes, there’s the European elections in June, and the US Presidential election in November – but you may also have heard that there’s a General Election on July 4th in the UK.

If you’re a British citizen living in France, you may want to have your say, so here’s how you can register to vote, even if you have lived outside the UK for more than 15 years.

How Brits living in Europe can register to vote for UK election

Another one for Britons living in France. Now that the dust has settled from the somewhat chaotic post-Brexit period, the system for swapping a UK driving licence for a French one seems to be running fairly smoothly. There are, however, some things that UK licence holders need to know.

5 things Brits in France need to know about swapping driving licences

The idea of a prolonged stay in France to learn the language while also soaking up some French culture and a few pains au chocolat / chocolatines is a popular one and there are many language schools that offer intensive courses.

If you are looking to move to France to improve your French language skills, some courses might allow you to qualify for a student visa – but many will not.

Can I get a French student visa if I sign up for a language course?

If you have property in France that you advertise for short-term rentals on a certain website, you’ll know about the numerous restrictions in place, but new legislation making its way through the French parliament is set to tighten the rules further. Here’s what you need to know.

French politicians agree on tighter Airbnb rules

France routinely ranks at the top of the world’s most visited tourist destination – but the vast majority of people visit the same few sites, which some consider over-rated. Here are our suggestions for a few different places to visit, far from the maddening crowds.

19 alternative places to visit in France to avoid the crowds

It’s the bee, wasp and hornet time of year again. The last thing you want to discover is that any of them have made a nest in or around your French property – and this is, potentially, more of a problem for second-home owners whose properties are empty for long periods.

It is especially worrying for those who are allergic to stings. But, there are well-established systems in place to deal with an unwanted nest.

What to do if you find a bee, wasp or hornet nest on your French property

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

LIVING IN FRANCE

What are anti-mosquito apps and are they worth using in France?

Anti-mosquito smartphone apps are something of a summer hit in France – but how sound is the science behind them?

What are anti-mosquito apps and are they worth using in France?

Summer in France is mosquito season. The insistent high-pitched biting pests can be a huge frustration on sultry evenings, and are a major source of revenue for pharmacists and supermarkets selling repellents, creams and insecticide sprays, to those unfortunates who provide a tasty snack for the itch-inducing insects.

Recently, efforts to prevent mosquito attacks have moved into the app sphere. A number of smartphone applications are available that claim to repel mosquitoes by emitting low-frequency sounds from the phone’s speaker. 

READ ALSO: How to prevent the spread of tiger mosquitoes in France

The idea isn’t new. And it is based on actual science. France’s Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (Inserm) said that the apps are intended to, “imitate the sound waves produced by the wing beats of … dragonflies. Female mosquitoes, which bite humans, would be repelled by this sound”.

So far, so good. The theory seems sound enough. 

READ ALSO: ‘Put a drop of detergent in the water’ – How to deal with mosquitoes in France?

But there’s a problem. 

“The [sound]waves that could possibly be heard by female mosquitoes are too powerful to be reproduced by a smartphone,” Inserm went on to say.

Possibly to cover themselves, the Anti-moustique insecticide app, available on the App Store, states in its own description: “It has not been scientifically proven that low-frequency sounds can help repel mosquitoes. For this reason, this app should be considered a joke app”.

READ ALSO Life in France: 5 plants that (allegedly) repel mosquitoes

According to Inserm, experts advise against this type of app, “at best because they are useless, at worst because they can provide a false sense of protection”, leading users to neglect other – rather more effective – approaches to protecting themselves from bites.

Anti-mosquito advice

When it comes to repelling the horrible little bastards, the French government does have some official advice.

The main thing is to have as little stagnant water around as possible – since this is where mosquitoes breed.

This includes regularly emptying vases, flower pots, as well as watering cans and pots. If you want to collect rainwater, you could cover water butts with mosquito nets or fabric to keep the mosquitoes from getting inside.

To protect yourself, try to wear long, loose and light-coloured clothing, and use a good quality insect repellent. You might also consider wearing a mosquito net head gear.

A plethora of products exist on the market, from machines that also produce the mosquito repelling noise to scented candles or smoke coils, most of these have at at least some effect, but are unlikely to keep the mossies away entirely.

SHOW COMMENTS