Repel martens once and for all!

Why do martens target cars?

Martens are solitary animals and like to explore their environment. The engine compartment of a car offers a good, temporary refuge from noise, light and people. The marten leaves behind a scent, also called a scent mark.

If you then move the car from an area where a marten came in contact with it to the territory of another marten, and the second marten becomes aware of the scent mark, then its defensive instinct and instinct to fight are triggered.

It instinctively tries to eliminate the scent mark of the other marten at all costs, and this is mainly done by chewing on hoses and cables.

From the marten’s point of view, the attacks on the car are never unwarranted, just for the fun of it, nor because the cables taste nice. They “just” happen because their instinct to defend themselves is triggered by the unknown scent mark. 

So even if you fully equip your car with marten repellent products, if you skip the pre-treatment step and don’t eliminate scent marks, it will only be a matter of time before the unwelcome guests are back knocking at your car door.

Martens in your house or attic

Martens can get into your home surprisingly easily since they can jump up to two meters high, are excellent climbers and can squeeze through openings as small as 4cm to get into the attic. 

They can even slightly lift roof tiles and get into the attic that way.

You can see what it’s like when a marten has been on a real rampage here:

How do I deter a marten from the attic?

If you have a marten in your attic, you have three main options to effectively repel them

First of all, we recommend using a scented disk which can simply be hung up. If your attic is large, wide and a bit disjointed, it is a good idea to put up multiple of these disks in different places.

These scented disks are available in our online shop for around €15 (excluding delivery) and will be ready for delivery within 1-2 days.

The second option is to install a battery-operated ultrasonic device. However, bear in mind that these devices cannot penetrate solid matter. 

That means that if your attic is divided into numerous spaces, or if it is very full, it is a good idea to install multiple devices. It is exactly for these kinds of scenarios that we offer 5 battery-operated ultrasonic devices for the price of 4.

The main benefit of the ultrasonic device is its operational life. The scented disk lasts up to 6 months, whereas the batteries of the ultrasonic device only need to be replaced every 12-24 months.

If you know where the marten is breaking into your attic, the third option may be for you. You can install a high-voltage device at the marten’s entry point, which will definitely repel it.

How do I repel a marten from the garden?

Having a marten in the garden is fairly unusual and not the end of the world since it won’t attack your flower bed.

But if you keep poultry as livestock, you won’t be so relaxed. Martens aren’t like foxes who “only” catch 1-2 animals to satisfy their hunger. 

So if you want to protect your livestock from martens, you should look to the battery-operated ultrasonic device, which is very effective and most importantly, waterproof. That said, we generally recommend installing the device in a location protected from the weather, despite it being waterproof.

Protecting the carport from martens

For carports, it makes sense to install an ultrasonic device on one of the front pillars to ensure the engine compartment of the car is definitely within the targeted area of the device.

It is also a good idea to install an ultrasonic device on the underside of the carport roof so that a marten which “only” climbs onto the car is repelled before it even gets anywhere near the engine compartment.

The top 3 marten repellent devices

So far we have shown you different devices and options to appropriately repel martens in various scenarios. But not only that, we’ve also created a general ranking of the best, most effective devices to repel martens.

Battery-operated ultrasonic device 

The 4B battery-operated ultrasonic device is an absolute classic, great value for money, battery-operated and therefore simple to install anywhere.

What’s more, its batteries last for up to 24 months (a set of batteries is delivered with the product), cable ties to secure the device are also included and it uses frequency modulation. This means that the ultrasound waves it emits vary so that the martens do not become accustomed to them.

High-voltage device with ultrasound 

Looking to fully equip your car with the ultimate marten repellent device? Look no further than the high-voltage device with ultrasound. 

The six stainless steel contact plates can be effortlessly installed using the included cable ties. And thanks to the insulation-displacement contact, they are easily activated by a push and click into place.

The double-pole design makes it irrelevant if the engine compartment contains conductive materials or not. Effective electric shocks repel the marten long term and an ultrasonic device is integrated as well. 

The device is button battery operated, two of which are included with the device and which last for up to 18 months. The high-voltage device also comes with 12 volt connection. 

Marten odour remover

An absolute must before taking any steps to repel martens is to use an marten odour remover. As explained above, that’s because the scent marks are what trigger the attack on your car in the first place. This is why it is a crucial step and why the scent marks must be eliminated.

Simply spray it on the engine compartment, leave it on for a short period of time and then rinse off with water. 

Important: You don’t need a high-pressure hose to do this, simply rinsing or washing off with a watering can or bucket will do the job perfectly well. 

By using a high-pressure hose, you run the risk of damaging or completely breaking seals. That is why we advise against using these. Please follow car manufacturer guidelines!

Why do some devices beep so loudly?

Devices which use such high frequency ranges that even humans can hear are actually unnecessarily loud since martens are able to hear frequency ranges that we cannot.

That’s why our ultrasonic devices only use frequency ranges perceivable by martens and not humans, so that no irritating beeps are emitted.

Dog owners also need not worry. These ultrasonic devices cannot be heard in the boot of the car or in the car itself because they do not penetrate solid matter.

Household remedies against martens

Contrary to many online articles and forums, we do not recommend the use of household remedies to repel martens since they are ineffective in the long term and martens become accustomed to them.

You are more than welcome to water your engine compartments with urine, cover it with cat or dog hair or sprinkle chilli powder over it to see this for yourself! 

However, if you are looking for a long-term, sustainable and reliable solution to keep martens at bay, you will find the right product in our online shop.

What can martens not tolerate?

Martens cannot stand ultrasonic sounds because they signal danger. That’s why devices of this kind are so effective. However, the devices should be able to vary in frequency range so that the martens don’t become accustomed to them.

There are also specific odours that martens cannot tolerate, for example the animal fats of their enemies. These signal danger to the martens and are used in the scented disks as a marten repellent. 

Marten damage

In 2016, 207,000 instances of marten damage totalling €63 million were reported to the German Insurance Association. That’s an average of around €300 per vehicle, with the number of cases and the average costs they incur increasing markedly every year, as cars are becoming more and more susceptible to marten damage.

Does insurance cover marten damage?

Yes, some insurance companies do cover direct marten damage. However, it becomes more complicated if the marten damage is not discovered and repaired straight away, which can lead to much more considerable consequential damage.

Consequential damage cover completely depends on the insurance company. Generally, it is not covered, and we recommend you ask your insurance provider. 

Many people don’t know that not removing the scent mark following the repair work makes it only a matter of time until another marten will pay a visit, which is a huge problem.

What is typical marten damage?

Chewed ignition cables, rubber and radiator hoses or lambda probes and damaged insulation mats are typical issues.

Electric vehicles are also on the rise, and with them their more susceptible data and high-voltage cables.

However, these examples are cases which don’t tend to break the bank with marten damage. It only becomes very expensive when the damage isn’t discovered and repaired straight away.

That can lead to chewed cables causing the catalytic converter not to work, broken rubber protective sleeves causing damage to the the drive joints or axle drive or damaged radiator hoses causing the engine to overheat.

As already mentioned, not every insurer covers consequential damage, since, as you can well imagine, that can get very expensive.

Conclusion

Preemptively equipping your car with a marten repellent product is a good way to prevent the stress of marten damage and a worthy investment of time and money. 

If you leave it too late and have to pay for the consequential damage of a marten chewing up your car, you will pay 4-5 times as much as you do for a marten repellent product. You’ll never want to miss it again!

If you still have any questions about the topic, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experts – we’ll be happy to help!