Marten repellent

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Measures taken by humans to ward off the stone marten can be described as marten defense . The mating season for stone martens is in June / July. The “hot phase” of territorial disputes for the martens is from March / April to late summer. Defense measures are in great demand during this period.

Problem area house

The marten usually looks for his quarters between stones and piles of wood, barns are also popular places to stay. Usually this behavior runs smoothly. Only cats can suffer considerable injuries from fighting with the animals. Sometimes, however, the animals also penetrate the attics of residential buildings and give themselves away through considerable noise (rumbling, sneezing and coughing noises, walking around, arguments). Since the animals drag a large number of objects into the roost (gloves, animal skeletons, etc.), use or carry away insulation material, as well as urinate and defecate, their presence can be an expensive matter.

This is where ultrasonic devices with a sound pressure level of over 100 dB (C) can help, which are aimed at the entry holes and the nesting room. However, this does not make sense in the long term, since the animals are deafened by the deafening noise and will consequently no longer bother themselves with the ultrasound device. Further negative effects for other animals and humans have also not been adequately researched. Even plugging the holes helps only temporarily, because the animals are looking for a new access or "fighting free" known accesses. Good experiences have been made with putting a rag soaked in diesel fuel in a bowl and putting it in the attic - however, the smell and fire protection ( hazard group A3) stand in the way of this. The fuel evaporates faster through the rag. The marten's fine nose doesn't like the smell at all, and it usually disappears very quickly. Anti-marten agents available in specialist shops have a similar effect: sprays that are applied over a large area or concentrates with which the supplied felt pads are moistened and then laid out or attached.

Problem area car

The first marten bites on cars became known in the 1980s . The annual marten damage to motor vehicles amounts to an estimated several hundred thousand cases. In 2017, around 214,000 damage totaling 72 million euros was caused by martens, according to figures from the Association of the German Insurance Industry. The stone marten has got used to the living conditions of people and is increasingly staying in their vicinity as a cultural follower. The reasons why the stone marten settles in cars cannot, as has long been assumed, be traced back to the smell of hot rubber or the composition of the plastics, but rather to the species behavior of the animal. The engine compartment offers the stone marten an attractive shelter with a wide range of options. It serves as a place of relaxation and a possible retreat from enemies, as well as a pantry for leftovers. Vehicles that commute between different locations and are parked in the open overnight are particularly at risk. If different martens have marked their respective area in the vehicle in both places, the animals try to defend this area and biting attacks are the result. In this way, the damage caused by the stone marten can be traced back to the behavior of the territory. Damage occurs more frequently in the described "hot phase" and the mating season of the martens. At the same time, defense measures make sense all year round.

consequences

For the vehicle owner, marten damage can become an expensive and dangerous matter. Insulation materials in the engine compartment are the least of the problems. Cables and hoses of all kinds ( axle boot , spark plug cable , coolant hoses, hoses for the windscreen washer system , cables for the lambda probe are particularly at risk). The bite sites are sometimes difficult to spot because the animals' sharp teeth only leave punctures the size of a pinhead.

Possible consequences are, for example, getting stuck due to a defective ignition cable or loss of cooling water.

Assumption of costs

While towing costs are often covered by membership in a car club, follow-up costs (e.g. defects in the engine, exhaust systems) are not covered by all insurance policies. It depends on the insurer and the exact tariff. The motor vehicle liability insurance is generally not liable for marten bites on the vehicle. A partially comprehensive insurance is liable in the event of damage within the framework of the agreed coverage and a possible deductible in the case of direct marten damage. But while some insurers offer marten protection in partial coverage, others completely exclude this.

Defense measures

Marten protection grid with wire mesh
Battery operated ultrasonic device in the engine compartment
Sensor-controlled high-voltage device with stainless steel contact plates in the engine compartment

In any case, it should be noted that stone marten are subject to hunting law.

Pretreatment

The ADAC Traffic Guard recommends washing the engine after every marten damage and the first time paw prints are discovered on the bonnet or traces of a marten visit in the engine compartment (leftover food, shredded rubber parts) and before every marten defense measure . This should be done in a specialist workshop that meets the legal requirements. Alternatively, so-called scent mark removers (special cleaning foam) are offered. Because only with the help of these pretreatments can the scent traces left by every marten be removed, the vehicle neutralized and defused for the other opponents (reason for attack is taken). It is advisable to encase as many car cables as possible (especially the ignition cables) with corrugated tubing. The wavy plastic tube can easily be processed and pulled over the hoses. This is a relatively cheap, but very effective measure. In specialist shops, these are offered in a special quality "as pre-slotted marten protection tubes" to enable them to be attached without dismantling. Inferior qualities, such as those offered as abrasion protection hose, should be avoided in this context. There are special heat-resistant protective cables made of aluminum for the cables of catalytic converters / lambda sensors. Unfortunately, not all components in the vehicle can be encased, which is why additional protective measures may be necessary.

  • Wire mesh under the engine compartment and large defensive objects under the car often have a temporary effect. Since martens are very cautious animals and usually do not take any risks, they avoid unusual devices from time to time - but not forever.
  • Ultrasound devices should have a sound pressure level of over 100 dB (C) to avoid getting used to them (result of ADAC test). In addition, to help prevent the habituation effect, you should pay attention to devices with "frequency modulation" when buying.
  • According to tests carried out and many years of practical experience, high-voltage devices are the most effective and effective method of combating marten. By means of the contact plates attached in the engine compartment and charged by a high-voltage generator, the marten gets an electric shock according to the electric fence principle when touched. The positive effect here: it keeps the marten away in the long term without harming the animal. It is therefore important to ensure that the devices protect the vehicle and do not injure the animal. However, the prerequisite for an electric shock is the completion of a circuit . Ground (negative pole) is required for this, e.g. B. on the body or other bare metal engine parts. Water hoses are also made of conductive material. In other words: the required negative pole is transported via the vehicle.

In newer vehicles with a lot of plastic, paint and sound insulation in the engine compartment, there is less conductive surface, so that the ground (negative pole) is ideally supplied via a second, i.e. a "double" contact plate. This means that these devices have contact plates with plus and minus poles. There should be a way that devices can be switched off for service work. High-voltage marten repellants are largely harmless to humans.

Double contact plate made of stainless steel (plus-minus pole)
  • Needle locks are flexible plastic sheets studded with needles. These plates are placed and fixed in the engine compartment. A marten in such a protected engine compartment inevitably comes into contact with one of the needles and disappears. Since these animals can only be deterred by mechanical protection devices and high-voltage devices, these plates are an effective alternative without electricity.
  • A variety of home remedies are recommended to repel marten. However, the effectiveness is often questionable and, if at all, only of limited duration. This includes, for example, dog hair, cloister stones, (dog) urine , old shoes or rubber boots under the car.
  • Retrofit kits are available for some vehicles to close the access to the engine compartment with the help of brushes and grilles.

Disadvantages of the defense measures

  • Marten defense on the car with a rabbit guard under the engine compartment: The problem with the rabbit guard is that it is usually not carried due to its size and is therefore usually only at the usual location of the vehicle. However, many marten attacks happen while parking in unfamiliar areas. That is why a marten defense system installed in the vehicle and thus protective at all locations is to be preferred - i.e. based on the ultrasonic or pasture fence principle. Both principles carry the residual risk that the marten will still bite. Only the above-mentioned devices with double contact plates offer reliable protection, as these always cause a 100% electric shock in martens due to their nature.
  • Ultrasound defense : With ultrasound it is known that a protective effect only occurs when the sound pressure is so high that it causes pain to the animals when they come close enough (20 to 30 cm). However, since sound is blocked by obstacles and thus ineffective, the protective effect in the narrow engine compartment is poor. Therefore, when installing, make sure that the ultrasound emitted from a large sound opening can be reflected by surfaces in the engine compartment in order to arrive on the floor below the engine compartment and scare away the martens before they even want to penetrate the engine compartment or themselves venture near the vehicle. The installation of several overlapping and downwardly directed sound sources in the engine compartment is practically impossible and unsuitable for the energy budget in the vehicle ( battery load ). The necessary high-quality ultrasonic loudspeakers are expensive and sensitive (engine compartment washes problematic). Effective devices are available for around 100 euros. Furthermore, many "ultrasound" devices operate partially in the audible range for (young) people and can therefore be unpleasant for passers-by. However, high-quality devices are designed in such a way that, outside the engine compartment, even young people usually cannot hear them.
  • The pasture fence principle: Care must be taken to ensure that the contacts on pasture fences are such that they block the different sized areas of movement so that the marten cannot slip past them. Due to the active exploration and play behavior of the stone marten, there is contact with the current-generating contact plates. The contacts must be placed in such a way that they do not come into contact with other metal parts in the engine compartment and could cause a short circuit (they must not slip either). They occasionally need to be checked for corrosion and contamination, which is difficult in hard-to-reach places in the engine compartment. Therefore, when purchasing a marten repellent product, make sure that the contact plates are made of stainless steel and cannot corrode. The electric shock plates must always be charged, which puts a lot of strain on the battery if the vehicle is parked for a long time. Therefore, the marten repeller should be energy efficient. High voltage is not completely harmless to vehicle electrics. There are high-voltage devices on the market for marten defense with a very low current strength, less than half a milliampere (mA), and devices with their own power supply. Two commercially available button cells are sufficient to supply the device with energy for 18 months. This means that this device does not have to be connected to the on-board electronics, which greatly simplifies and shortens installation. This is important if there is no intervention in the on-board electronics and a possible source of error is to be prevented. Furthermore, if special importance is attached to the fact that the vehicle battery is not additionally burdened, although the power consumption, as mentioned, is extremely minimal with the branded products.
  • Needle lock : This mainly protects the upper engine compartment. Installation in tight or hard-to-reach places is difficult.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Beate Ludwig: Automarder under the bonnet , University of Gießen 1995, p. 13 ff, 12th year / no. 1.
  2. ↑ Beate Ludwig: Von Mardern und Menschen , Steinfurt, Tecklenborg Verlag, 1999, p. 91 ff.
  3. ↑ Be careful, martens: this is how you protect your car . adac.de. December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  4. ↑ Beate Ludwig: Von Mardern und Menschen , Steinfurt, Tecklenborg Verlag 1999, p. 91 ff.
  5. ↑ Peter Wohlleben: Crane flight and flower clock , Darmstadt 2012, pala-Verlag, p. 112f., ISBN 978-3-89566-310-9
  6. ↑ a b c d Tips against martens . ADAC website . Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  7. ↑ The damage . Website of the University of Giessen. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  8. ↑ Who pays the costs? . Website of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  9. ↑ Marten damage . cosmosdirekt.de. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  10. ^ Means against martens , on autobild.de. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  11. ↑ Home remedies against martens mostly without effect , on auto.de. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  12. ^ Testing the effectiveness of car marten repellants , website of the University of Giessen. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  13. ↑ Marten under the bonnet , on sueddeutsche.de, from August 5, 2011. Accessed on December 14, 2015.
  14. ↑ Beate Ludwig: Automarder under the bonnet . University of Giessen, 1995, 12th year, No. 1, p. 13 ff.
  15. ↑ Beate Ludwig: Von Mardern und Menschen , Steinfurt, Tecklenborg Verlag, p. 96 ff.