Asian hornet: how tits help protect bees in March

With the first mild days comes a problem that beekeepers and amateur gardeners now recognise across large parts of Europe: the Asian hornet. It circles in front of beehives, raids orchards and reduces pollinator numbers. What many people do not realise is that the familiar tit can help ease the pressure on bees and other insects – provided it is deliberately encouraged into the garden early in the year.

Why March is so crucial

The Asian hornet overwinters as a single queen. As winter recedes, usually in March, these queens emerge and begin searching for a site for their new nest. This is the period that sets the course for the entire season.

If a queen finds a suitable undisturbed location, the colony expands rapidly. Over the course of a year, one nest can consume an estimated eleven kilograms of insects. A substantial proportion consists of honey bees, solitary bees and other important pollinators. Anyone who waits until high summer to act will then be facing an established, defensive colony. Intervention becomes risky and is often costly.

Experts now assume that the Asian hornet can no longer be completely pushed back in affected areas. It reproduces quickly, spreads along rivers and transport routes, and encounters very few specialised predators. Individual bird species, such as bee-eaters or certain birds of prey, do occasionally take them, but these birds are not found everywhere. This is where a widespread garden bird comes in: the tit.

“Anyone who creates inviting conditions for tits in March can slow the development of new hornet colonies during their initial phase.”

Tits as allies: small birds with a big appetite

Whether blue tits, great tits or coal tits, they all share one trait: they feed their young mainly on insects. Once the breeding season starts, activity around the nest box intensifies. The parent birds make tireless trips back and forth, filling their chicks’ beaks with caterpillars, grubs and other small creatures.

Estimates suggest that, at the peak of breeding, pairs of tits manage between 500 and 900 feeding trips each day. Within a few weeks, they consume several thousand insects and larvae. If an Asian hornet nest is nearby, its larvae can form part of their prey, alongside many other species.

Of particular interest to gardeners is that great tits may nest close to hornet nests when the opportunity arises. They use the nearby nest as a food source. Tits benefit especially when a hornet nest is abandoned in autumn or early winter, feeding on remaining larvae and dead insects. In this way, they reduce part of the potential for new queens.

Experts do, however, warn against overstating this effect. Tits are not hornet specialists. They hunt opportunistically, taking what is currently available and easy to catch. No bird, nor any other single animal species, can control the Asian hornet on its own. Even so, the continuous, albeit limited, predation by tits places additional pressure on the hornet population – creating a little more balance in the garden.

How to turn your garden into a paradise for tits

To play their part as effective little helpers, tits need suitable nesting sites, shelter and enough food. Acting early in the year gives gardeners an advantage.

The right nest box in the right place

Competition for suitable cavities begins in March. Natural tree holes have become scarce, which makes nest boxes extremely important in built-up areas. A simple wooden box is sufficient, as long as a few basic principles are followed:

• a closed wooden box with no gaps, so that the inside stays dry
• an entrance hole around 2.5 to 3 centimetres in diameter for tits
• a height of between 2 and 5 metres, depending on the size of the property
• a sheltered position, away from direct midday sun and draughts
• difficult for cats and martens to reach, so not directly beside climbing aids

Putting up boxes by mid-March at the latest increases the likelihood that tits will use them that same year. An east or south-east orientation is ideal: morning sunshine provides warmth without becoming excessive in the heat of summer.

Food in late winter, insects in spring

Natural food sources are scarce in late winter. Providing supplementary food selectively can help birds through this period and encourage them to return to the garden. The key is to stop in good time, so that the birds switch to insects rather than becoming permanently reliant on fatty foods.

The following approach has proved effective:

• Offer sunflower seeds, chopped nuts and vegetable fats from January until the end of March.
• Gradually phase out feeding as warmer days begin.
• At the same time, ensure the garden remains rich in insects – for example, with flowering plants and “wild corners”.

Shrubs such as elder, hawthorn and hazel provide food as well as cover and nesting material. Leaving a few parts of the garden less than perfectly tidy also earns points with birds: piles of leaves, dead wood and uncut perennial stems are genuine insect hotspots.

A water source and no pesticides

Without water, many garden birds stay away in summer. A shallow bowl or small basin is enough, provided it is cleaned and refilled regularly. The water level should remain low so that animals cannot drown.

Avoiding pesticides is particularly important. Insecticides do not only affect pests; they also kill the prey of tits, and often the birds themselves. Giving up chemical products provides more food and reduces the risk of poisoning.

“A pesticide-free garden with nest boxes, native shrubs and a water source is irresistible to tits – while also supporting bees and other pollinators.”

Never tackle hornet nests alone

Useful as tits may be, they are no substitute for professional control. An active Asian hornet nest may be defended aggressively, particularly if it hangs near a beehive or a heavily used area. Trying sprays, fire or water yourself can be life-threatening and often causes only limited damage within the nest.

Anyone who discovers a suspicious nest in their garden should contact the local authority or a trained pest controller. Many areas now have dedicated reporting services that deal with hornet nests. Tits can reduce the number of larvae and dead insects in and around a nest, but they do not specifically attack the main structure.

Greater diversity, less stress for bees

Perhaps the greatest benefit of tits in the fight against the Asian hornet is that their interest is not limited to this one species. In spring, they clear away entire groups of aphids, caterpillars and other pest insects. Fruit trees, berry bushes and vegetable crops all benefit alike.

Beekeepers can benefit twice over: hornets face additional pressure during the larval stage, while the need for insecticides is reduced because tits keep many pests in check. Such a garden feels more alive, buzzing and chirping – and is considerably more resilient to disruption.

It helps to broaden the idea of what counts as a “beneficial organism”. Ladybirds and solitary bees are not the only creatures that help in the garden; entire food chains matter. Tits need insects, insects need plants, and plants need pollinators. Adjusting one end of this chain affects everything else.

Practical examples from regions where the Asian hornet has been present for longer show a trend: gardens rich in birds and insects do experience attacks, but cope better with the pressure. Individually placed traps or purely chemical measures rarely achieve the same result as a combination of early nest reporting, professional control and consistent support for natural opponents.

So, anyone who puts up nest boxes in March, plants native shrubs, avoids poisons and provides water is doing more than helping tits. They are laying the foundations for bees, bumblebees and other pollinators to have a better chance in their own garden – despite the threat posed by the Asian hornet.