Despite their cute little face, martens are mammals capable of wreaking terrible havoc in the henhouse, the garden, the garage, or the house. They usually feed on the corpses of rodents, birds, eggs, or remains thrown by humans. There are several natural techniques and tricks to keep them away without necessarily killing them.
Detect the presence of martens
Solitary, the marten is a nocturnal animal that measures between 65 and 80 cm in length. She has a long, bushy tail of about 25 cm. This mustelid weighs between 1.1 and 2.3 kg and has a life expectancy of 3 to 12 years. From the same family as the weasel, otter, or polecat, this mammal is recognizable by a small white spot located on its throat, chest, legs, and gray-brown coat. The marten lives mainly in the countryside but can still get used to the city.
Of urine traces on drywall, electrical nibbled son, and night sounds often indicate a weasel in the house. Left all over the place, black droppings about 8-10 cm in the shape of a spiral with small bones, hairs, and pits can also signal their existence. The hair is regularly seen near an opening, which also indicates the passage of a weasel.
Appreciating neither the heat nor the cold and even less the rain, the marten will take up residence in the roofs, in the attic, in the attic, or between the insulation plates. Small holes of about 5 cm in diameter, defective tiles, or ventilation ducts allow it to enter a home. Since the marten is one of the protected animals, it is forbidden to kill it. To get rid of it, you need to adopt the right technique.
Prevent the invasion of martens
Several methods are recommended to prevent martens from invading a home, a farmyard, or a garage.
- First of all, think about plugging all the possible small spaces allowing them to slip in with tar or a mesh formed of fine mesh and maintained with nails.
- Then, it is advisable to replace the broken or damaged tiles as quickly as possible.
Check regularly that mammals have not altered the protections and installations.
As stated above, these small mammals mainly live at night. So, they don’t like light. To keep them away, leave the attic or cellar lighting on for several days and nights. It is also possible to install a site spot. Besides light, martens do not like the noise either. To scare them away from their hiding place, do not hesitate to stream music throughout the day. It is also possible to invest in an ultrasonic box to prevent mustelids from creating a nest at home. Models to be connected to the mains or batteries work perfectly. It is enough to assess the room’s size to determine the number of useful devices.
Natural products to keep martens away
- White vinegar
As it already smells solid, the marten hates heady smells. Cleaning with white vinegar is, therefore, an interesting alternative to get rid of it. Here’s how to do it:
- Make a solution with half a liter of water, a liter of white vinegar, and a few drops of washing up liquid ;
- Clean the part with this mixture;
- Vacuum it;
- Spray white vinegar all over the room before closing.
- Essential oil and garlic
A fragrant cocktail made from garlic and essential oils is ideal as a marten repellent. See the stages of realization:
- Boil a liter of water ;
- Once the water has cooled, add two crushed garlic cloves ;
- Pour about ten drops of essential oil of peppermint ;
- Add 10 drops of lemongrass essential oil ;
- Let steep for two weeks ;
- Put this solution in a spray bottle;
- Spray it all over the room.
- Coffee grounds
Used to neutralize bad odors, fortify plants or unclog pipes, coffee grounds are also effective in chasing unwanted animals such as martens. Pretty simple, this trick involves spreading coffee residue around the room, from floor to ceiling. The bitterness felt in the scent will cause pests to leave their nests.
- The pepper
Pepper also helps to hunt marten. To make an anti-stone marten spray, you must:
- Dissolve 5 teaspoons of black pepper in a liter of water ;
- Pour this mixture into a sprayer;
- Spray the room with the solution.
- The mustard
Still in the fight against stone marten with natural products, mustard is also a major ally. This condiment gives off a strong odor that scares these little animals away. The essentials for a mustard-based stone marten repellent:
- Make a repellent solution with 2 tablespoons of mustard flour and a bucket of hot water ;
- Using a spray bottle, spray this mixture throughout the room.
Other marten repellents
Being an excellent marten repellent, the scent can be diverted from its main function. To dislodge the mustelid, start by choosing a marked fragrance. Then spray the perfume on the floor, walls, and ceiling.
Presented in the form of a solid white ball, mothballs are generally used to perfume laundry and ward off moths. This commercially available chemical is also found to be useful in preventing stone martens from entering a home. It is enough to place mothballs in the attic corners, around the garden, or in the glass wool of the insulation for an optimal result.
To avoid the presence of martens in a home, consider installing large mousemats or a cage. To attract them to the trap, replace the pieces of cheese with eggs. To give the animal confidence, place the bait 50 cm from the entrance, and regularly check if the marten has taken hold of it. Next, put the egg inside the cage, then wait for the animal to grab it and the box to close.
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