We know how to keep the pest away from your car with marten repellent! adobe stock, (c) horst schmidtein furry head, round beady eyes – and razor-sharp teeth that gleefully munch their way through the guts of your car: these are martens. We tell you how to clean your protect engine compartment and save attics, barns and garages from significant property damage. In addition, you can read in our article why the marten repellent also from health view extremely important.
where do martens live?
Whenever you read about massive marten damage in the press, the culprits are normally stone marten (martes foina). The small predator from the family of the real martens is the only one of its kind that prefers to stay in the attic the bacon belt of man which is why it is also called a house marten. Most of his fellow species, such as the pine marten (martes martes) are loners and forest dwellers, which do not go near people.
Martens are nocturnal, very flexible in their food intake, and thanks to their excellent climbing skills everywhere, where a cozy home near a food source (for example, litter garbage cans) can be set up. their favorite places to settle are attics, garages, sheds, barns and, much to people’s annoyance, cars.
Recognize marten infestation or marten plague
While the marten in the car is normally protected by characteristic bite marks it can take quite a while before you notice the marten in the attic, the garage or the shed. If you suspect a marten infestation, you should check for following signs respect:
- Marten excrement is about as thick as a finger and twisted at the end.
- Territory markings show themselves in the form of soiling and unpleasant odors, as the martens use their anal glands as well as urine and excrement for this purpose.
- bite damage on electrical cables indicate marten infestation and in the worst case can cause house fires.
- Scratch marks on trees, beams and rain pipes can indicate a marten infestation.
- stone martens often leave prey remains such as bird feathers and eggshells, but also whole carcasses of birds or small mammals such as mice back.
Martens prefer to live in roofs, attics, garages, barns and cars. Photo: adobe stock, (c) were
Who pays for marten damage?
Damage caused by marten bites on the car is normally due to fully and partially comprehensive insurance covered. However, insurance coverage only applies to the direct damage and not to possible consequential damage. This means that destroyed components are replaced, but the insurance does not pay if nibbled hoses and cables cause engine damage or the catalytic converter overheats, for example. Since this consequential damage can mean an enormous financial outlay on your own part, it is important to invest early in the marten defense to invest. Prevention is better than cure!
marten damage to the house can also be very expensive, as it is often necessary to open and clean hard-to-reach areas in order to remove it. Corresponding damage is not covered by the homeowner’s insurance, but is the responsibility of the homeowners insurance to report. But this only pays if damage from animal bites is part of the insurance policy. It is therefore worthwhile, at times a insurance advisor to visit.
Transmitted marten diseases?
martens, like all wild animals, can suffer from a number of diseases. The most common infections are with rabies, distemper or the aujeszky’s disease, also called pseudo rage. Canine distemper and pseudo rabies are transmissible to dogs and are usually fatal in unvaccinated animals. Not only dogs but also humans can be infected with rabies if they are bitten by a dog infected marten bitten or be scratched. Rabies, unless the person in question has been vaccinated, is still common today deadly. Fortunately, there have been no more infections with rabies in austria since 2004.
marten repellent on the car – what really helps?
Martens go to cars because these have a optimal place of retreat show. They are dry, warm and offer the marten safety from natural enemies such as foxes, cats and various birds of prey. The unfortunate vehicle owner often only finds out about the bite marks to ignition cables, brake, fuel and hydraulic lines from the blind passenger in the engine compartment.
Why do martens bite through car cables??
There is only one reason why the marten makes a mess of car cables: territorial behavior! Martens launch biting attacks on ignition cables, brake, fuel and hydraulic lines when they detect the scent of a rival and want to mark their territory. For this reason, cars are particularly at risk, which are frequently used between two different locations commute (for example, home and the parking lot at work) and are freely accessible at both locations. If two pine martens have chosen the same vehicle, the territorial fights begin. Especially aggressive territorial behavior show the furry pests in the period from march/april to late summer.
marten repellent is particularly important because a single animal always attracts more martens. Photo: adobe stock, (c) andreas bohm
What to do against the marten on the car? Marderschreck& co
What many people don’t know: even the best defense measures are useless if your car already serves or has served as a marten’s refuge. As soon as an animal has left its scent mark on your car, other martens will follow. For this reason, even the slightest suspicion of marten infestation (e.g. food remains or paw prints on the engine hood) should lead to an inspection professional engine washing should be carried out. Only when all scent marks completely removed once the engine has been cleaned and other martens no longer see any reason to attack, the following defensive measures can be used successfully. You should always have the engine washed by a professional car workshop have done.
marten defense by ultrasound
stone martens have exceptionally good hearing with wide frequency range. For this reason, as a defense measure are often used ultrasonic devices used. To a distance of 20 to 30 cm the sound pressure becomes so great that it is unpleasant or even painful for the animals and they run away. However, since obstacles block the sound, you must ensure during installation that the ultrasound is not slowed down by the surfaces in the engine compartment, but is reflected and thus conducted to the outside.
Drive martens away by electric shock
the marten defense by electric shock works after the pasture fence principle: contact plates are placed in the engine compartment, which are charged by a high-voltage generator. As soon as the marten comes into contact with the plates, it receives a electric shock, which, however, does not damage him in the long run. High-voltage devices have proven to be effective primarily because, in the case of animals no habituation effect entry: once a marten has been electrocuted, it will not normally approach the car a second time.
currentless marten repellent: corrugated hose, wire mesh& NEEDLOCK
In addition to marten repellent with electricity and ultrasound, you can also opt for mechanical marten repellent. to keep martens away from your car cables, you can spray them for example with encase corrugated hose. These are corrugated plastic tubes, which are pulled over the hoses. In the trade you get the tubes as so-called "marten protection hoses", which are already slotted for easier installation. Also wire mesh under the engine compartment has proven to be effective, as martens usually avoid it. However, with the time a habituation effect can occur here.
Another variant of mechanical marten repellent is the use of movable plastic plates spiked with needles, so-called marten traps needle barriers. These are fixed in the engine compartment and drive the animals away by the (sometimes somewhat painful) contact with the needles.
marten repellent in the house – how to drive away martens?
Since stone martens are nocturnal and hide well during the day, an infestation of martens in the house often goes unnoticed at first. A typical sign of the unwanted visitor is nocturnal rumbling from the attic. If a marten has chosen your attic as a hiding place, it is important to act quickly. The furry predator digs through the roof insulation and destroys the underlayment in the process. Thereby the insulation effect is lost and warm air escapes to the outside. This drives away not only the heating costs in the height, but also favors the mildew.
If you don’t take care of marten defense in time, you risk massive consequential financial damage. Photo: adobe stock, (c) creativenature.Nl
How does the marten get into the house??
There is virtually no house that would be safe from a marten invasion. The furry pests can climb extremely well, can jump over two meters and even climb up a rough plastered house wall completely without any aids. Openings of seven or eight centimeters are quite sufficient to get into the attic to reach. And if the marten can’t find an opening, it simply pushes up a roof tile and gains access itself in this way.
Are you allowed to trap martens? marten trap& co
stone martens are not under species or nature protection, but in austria they are subject to the HUNTING LAW. This means that you may only kill a marten if you have a hunting license – and even then only in the respective hunting season. The poison of martens is basically forbidden. To drive the marten away from your attic, however, you can use so-called marten traps. These are live traps that are designed so that you can later release the animal elsewhere. Popular bait for marten traps are raw eggs, dried fruit or cat food. To prevent the animal from suffering unnecessarily, live traps must be checked several times a day.
Home remedies against martens: what really helps?
Ultrasound is not only suitable for repelling martens in cars. However, for a marten infestation in the house you need correspondingly high-quality devices with over 100 db(C) sound pressure level, aimed directly at nesting areas and entrance holes. The only problem is that the animals are permanently deafened by this extreme noise exposure, which of course makes the ultrasound ineffective. In addition LONG TERM for pets and humans not yet sufficiently researched.
In many guidebooks, one also reads about home remedies against martens. These include, for example, dog hair, dog urine, toilets and cotton cloths soaked in spirit. these home remedies are said to drive away the marten by their odor. However, the effectiveness of these measures is controversial:
How the professional drives away the marten?
Since commercially available products such as marten deterrents and marten scares often do not bring the desired success, and the use of live traps is anything but promising, many affected people call a marten exterminator pest control professional to help. Professional pest controllers know exactly when martens can be trapped and killed, and when it is safe to do so. During this period (march to october), they apply special deterrents that either act mechanically or drive the marten away by means of smell and/or taste.
Once the professional is sure that there are no more adult martens or young animals in your house, he seals the entry points and secures all risk areas. In this way, a new marten is prevented from taking the place of the frightened animal.