Marten defense in agriculture: How to repel martens!

Martens – A danger for farms

Martens – more precisely stone martens (lat. Martes foina) – are a serious problem for farms. The nocturnal predators nest in the attic, garage or barn and cause serious damage – from destroyed roof insulation and damaged car batteries to bitten hoses and cables in photovoltaic systems or vehicles. In 2023 alone, the costs caused by marten bites to vehicles across Germany amounted to more than 100 million euros. Source: GDV on marten damage. Farmers who want to protect their animals and machinery must take active measures to effectively repel martens. In this article, you will find out what damage martens cause, why DIY methods often don’t work and how STOP&GO marten repellent products can help you keep martens away in the long term.

Frequent marten damage in agriculture

Martens are one of the most common causes of damage on farms. They often find shelter in attics, barns or garages and cause damage to buildings and machinery through their nocturnal activities. But animals are not safe from these small, cute-looking predators either. Find out more about martens in the home.

Animal losses due to marten attacks

Martens often enter inadequately secured chicken coops, rabbit hutches or pigeon lofts and kill chickens, rabbits and other small animals. Stables with small loopholes that allow martens to enter unhindered are particularly at risk. They gain access through even the smallest, narrow-meshed openings of five centimetres. Once in the chicken coop, they show their predatory instincts and attack. This usually affects not just one chicken, but several. This is because the animals go into a so-called hunting and bloodlust. They kill more animals than they can eat at that moment and save the carcasses for a rainy day or lick their blood. For farmers and homeowners, a visit from a marten can therefore mean not only financial but also emotional losses.

Nimble and agile: Stone martens can get through openings as small as five centimeters

Damage to photovoltaic systems and machines

Another serious problem is marten bites in hoses and cables, especially in photovoltaic systems, vehicles and machinery. This damage often leads to costly repairs and business interruptions. To prevent damage, experts recommend regular engine and underbody washing to remove scent marks that attract martens. However, a truly long-term deterrent for stone martens is only the right marten repellent. It can be used in many “marten problem areas” – including attics, for example.

The attic as a hiding place: damage to the house and yard

Martens that nest in the loft cause considerable damage. To get under the roof, they often slip through crevices or loose roof tiles, destroy insulation materials and leave their droppings behind, causing both hygiene problems and damage to the building fabric. If you want to act before a marten is in the house, you often ask yourself: What does marten droppings look like? Because if it is only identified as such too late, it is usually already too late and the damage has been done. The result is usually the destruction of the roof insulation and the resulting sharp increase in energy costs.

To ensure that baby martens are not left behind, marten defense measures must be taken before the mating season.

Drive away martens: Which household remedies help

Can I drive a marten out of the house with household remedies such as vinegar?

Dog hair, mothballs, vinegar – it seems there are many household remedies that are used to repel stone martens. Their strong odor can deter martens in the short term, but is not a long-term solution. Martens quickly become accustomed to the smell and the effect soon fades. If you want to drive martens away, you should therefore use marten repellent solutions. It is important to ensure that the devices are of high quality. Inferior devices with ultrasound often do not have the desired effect, are irritating to human ears and do not have the right frequency to deter martens in the long term.

Effective marten defense – solutions and prevention

Marten prevention depends not only on the right device, but also on when it is installed. Although the small animals are nocturnal, they like to spend the day sleeping in sheltered areas. They use these places as hiding places – especially during and after the mating season. This is when they build nests and defend their territory against other martens – which increases their aggression and causes even more damage. Martens often only leave the attic at dusk to look for food or when their young are old enough to live on their own as solitary animals. It is therefore important to prevent martens – before they have settled down.

STOP&GO ultrasonic devices are among the solutions recommended for prevention. They offer a reliable solution to prevent martens from entering the engine compartment of vehicles and machinery, attics or stables. Before they are used, however, all traces of odor must be thoroughly removed. In the case of cars, this removal often takes the form of costly engine washes. An inexpensive, easy-to-use and effective method is the STOP&GO odor mark remover. It removes all odors left behind, including those from animal urine or excrement. Once it has been successfully applied, the STOP&GO ultrasonic repellent can be attached. It emits ultrasonic sounds in alternating frequencies that are inaudible to humans and emits animal cries of fear and warning to the troublemaker. The alternation of tones means that there is no habituation effect and it is also not possible for chickens, for example, to be disturbed by the tones. The sounds are in a frequency range that small feathered animals cannot hear. Unlike martens, chickens can only hear sounds in a frequency range of 40 to 3500 Hz. However, the ultrasonic solutions from STOP&GO marten repellents only start at a range of 20000 Hz. A welcome side effect of the solutions for many: They are also effective against rats, but should be installed before a rat infestation. Because as soon as rats have young, it is extremely difficult to drive them away from the property.

Protect your yard and your home with STOP&GO marten repellent

Avoid causing significant damage in the loft, barn or engine compartment and use our sustainable solutions to drive martens and other pests such as rats and mice away from your property.