Happy birdsong is the reward if you hang a tit box correctly. The direction, altitude and location must be correct for titmice to move into the birdhouse. You can find out how to attach tit boxes appropriately here.
How do I hang a tit box correctly?
To hang a tit box correctly, the entry hole should face east or southeast, be mounted at a height of 1.5 to 4 meters and be surrounded by suet balls. Avoid locations facing west or south and look for a place protected from the rain.
Hang up the tit box – which direction?
A tit box is fully booked when the entry hole points in the correct direction. How to do it right:
- Ideal direction: Entry hole faces east or southeast
- Second best orientation: Box opening faces north or northeast
- Wrong cardinal points: west or south
Tit boxes facing west remain orphaned. The clever birds know full well that a home with this orientation will be flooded if it rains. Vacancy is also inevitable if you hang a birdhouse facing south. Blazing sun turns the nesting aid into a sauna that is hostile to chicks.
Attach the tit box – How high do you hang it?
Treetops are the best place for a tit box. The correct hanging height protects the feathered inhabitants from access by voracious predators. This is how high you should hang a nesting box for tits:
- Hanging height: 1.5 to 4.0 m
- Free entry path
- Ideally surrounded by suet balls as a food supply
Animal-friendly hobby gardeners are open to the great housing shortage in the local bird world and are installing several tit boxes. So that hard-working tit parents don't get in each other's enclosure, you should hang birdhouses of the same design at least 5 to 10 meters away.
Hang up tit boxes – when and how?
The best time to hang tit boxes is in autumn. Birds, squirrels, wild bees and other garden animals can then safely overwinter in the protection of the box. To attach it to the tree, please use rust-proof stainless steel nails (€6.00 on Amazon) and covered wire. This way, a tree doesn't have to suffer injuries for serving as a site for a tit box.
Hang up the tit box on the balcony – is that possible?
In urban habitats, trees on which bird lovers can hang a nesting box are in short supply. Balcony gardeners close to nature don't need to be told twice and hang up a tit box. These criteria are important for a pair of tits to arrive:
- Hanging height: at least 1.5 m
- Location: shady to semi-shady, protected from rain under eaves or awning
- Stable: firmly mounted on the house wall
- Safety: without perch as a potential perch for predatory ravens or magpies
Please avoid a location directly above the seat. Please hang the tit box at a sufficient distance from climbing and privacy plants that cheeky cats use as climbing aids to attack defenseless tit chicks.
Tip
Did you know that a starling box is just a slightly larger tit box? That's why hobby gardeners use their craftsmanship to build a home for both types of birds. The main difference is the hole size. Tits are happy about a precisely fitting entrance with a diameter of 26 to 28 mm. The entry hole on the starling box is 45 to 48 mm.
