They are small animals, but the damage can be extensive: biting stone martens can cause high garage bills in the engine compartment of a car. A device that generates a small electric pulse keeps the unwanted visitors at a distance.
Cute eyes, a fluffy coat: a marten looks cute. Make no mistake though, his teeth are sharp. As a culture follower, he likes to be close to people. They live on the floors of houses, in basements and sheds. We as humans run no risk in doing so. The marten, which likes to go out at night, is too shy for that. A loner. It uses our habitat to hunt, eating mice, frogs and bird eggs. And he doesn’t like it when his competitors disturb him; he pounces on anything that looks or smells like a rival.
It is exactly that smell that can cause problems under the hood of your car. When a marten roams through its territory, it lets other martens know by spreading its scent. For example in the engine compartment, because he likes environments in which he can hide well and in which he can quietly eat the captured loot. During a car ride you pass through many such marten territories. And that creates competition between them. When your car is stationary, a marten will smell the competitor’s scent from a great distance. Furious, the little predator enters the engine compartment, where it bites into anything that irritates it as if in a blur. In this way, it damages air and water hoses, power cables and the insulation material that is located at the bottom of the hood. The razor-sharp teeth of the innocent-looking creature tear rubbers and plastics apart without any problem.
from the east
The damage done in this way can amount to thousands of euros. Consequential damage is often caused by faulty sensors, or by loss of coolant and oil. That can cost a lot of money: the umbrella insurance organization in Germany has calculated that martens at our eastern neighbors in 2019 bitten to the tune of no less than 89 million euros worth of parts. In the Netherlands the animal is advancing from the east; in 2019, fifty cars per week were damaged in some periods.
A first indication that a marten has visited are scratch marks in the insulation material attached to the inside of the hood. That doesn’t look pretty, but it can’t hurt much. In such a case, it is a handy first step to clean the engine compartment and thus remove the odor traces. House-garden and kitchen products such as dog hair, toilet blocks or worn socks do not help; as a culture follower, the marten does not panic because of these smells that it associates with people. Closing off openings usually makes little sense either, because the marten struggles through the smallest holes like a contortionist.
Electricity is a much more effective method of keeping the animal at a distance. In principle, this method works just like an electric fence for cows. You don’t have to run wires through the engine compartment; the quenching task is performed by metal plates distributed over the engine compartment and connected with a cable. The power supply for this marten defense comes from the starter battery or, as in the system we installed, from our own batteries. In this case two two small button batteries provide the necessary energy. Even do-it-yourselfers who do not have too much experience can do the installation. This is very simple, because our set does not have to be connected to the on-board electronics. If you have the job done by a garage, you should count on the technicians to spend one to two hours on it. That can of course turn out to be quite expensive at today’s workshop rates.
In short, power is an effective solution to the marten problem. You don’t have to feel guilty, because martens don’t sustain injuries from an electric shock. Although it is not pleasant for the animals, it is harmless.
This is how you keep the rodents away
If you see scratch marks on your car, you can assume that a marten has explored your car. Now it is important to act quickly to prevent more damage. The best protection is a marten deterrent that works with electricity. The Stop & Go device we tested costs about 200 euros, works with ultrasonic technology and is equipped with two button batteries, so that you do not have to connect the system to the mains and it is easy to install.
Installation set and spray: the package is fairly modest in size, you can install it in your own garage.
Connecting: the power cable can only be led through the recess at this point, you can’t be wrong.
When the marten hits these plates during its search under the hood, it receives an electric shock.
Sharpening: After removing this foil, the marten deterrent system is ready for use.
Eliminate Odors: Special sprays can remove the odors of martens from the engine compartment, so they no longer attract rivals.
It’s so much work
Costs: from €135
Time required: 75 minutes
Suitable for: DIYers
Assembling a system that keeps martens at bay is not too much work. If you’re a little handy and have enough patience, it’s doable.