A noisy nocturnal beast the size of a cat that can damage the wiring in your car, dig a tunnel in your home’s insulation or hunt a chicken out of your coop in no time. To be honest, the presence of a marten around the house is not just a one-sided negative issue. In fact, martens feed on small rodents that often devastate our gardens. The problem arises when they start to claim and inhabit our territory, which means ruined belongings, dead chickens, droppings, smells and noise when we are asleep. If a rock marten has taken up residence near your house, you’re in for a treat. How do you get rid of an uninvited guest and protect your property and your sleep?
Seal all the holes, park the car in the garage… and get a dog
The key is to make sure a marten can’t get into your house, attic or roof. Every cranny needs to be plugged and sealed because martens can squeeze through even the smallest opening. They can climb trees, so trim any branches that might help them get to the roof. If you want to protect your car’s wiring, the only sure-fire way is to park it in the garage at all times. Again, there must not be the slightest opening for a marten to squeeze through.
The last option is to get a dog. This advice doesn’t always work, but there is a chance that the marten will be afraid or that the dog will catch it.
Nothing helps? Try old wives’ advice or mechanical trap
If you’ve secured what you can secure and still find chewed cables, smelled poultry or listen to rustling in the attic at night instead of sleeping, don’t give up and try one of the often-recommended tips:
- scent trails,
- human hair or dog bed under the car,
- motion sensor light,
- sound scarecrow,
- mechanical trap.
If your marten is cunning and will not be deterred or caught, you can at least take comfort in the fact that martens live an average of three years in the wild.