Beech martencan be a very nuisance animal. By prowling in the garden, in the attic, attic, basement, shed or garden gazebo, it causes a lot of damage. Damaged insulation, bitten cables, losses in the house, eaten fruit are just some of thedamage caused by the martenSee how to identify the beech marten and which method of fighting this predator will be the best. We suggest proven wayshow to get rid of the marten from the attic, house and gardenbefore it causes further damage!
Beech marten can cause a lot of damage
Fig. depositphotos.com
How to recognize the beech marten?
Beech marten(Martes foina), also known as stoneware, is a mammal with a body length of up to approx. 50 cm and a weight of only 2 kg. It has soft and fluffy fur, a gray-brown back with a lighter underside, and dark limbs and tail. There is a characteristic white spot on the neck, which splits towards the front paws. The marten's ears are short and rounded at the same time.
Marten is an animal that leads a nocturnal lifestyle. , it can easily climb trees, walls and frames. These skills allow martens to climb into bird nests, but also to conquer our attics. The beech marten usually lives alone. It can live up to about 10 years.
Good to know
Apart from the marten, there may also be a pine marten (Martes martes) in our garden or near the house. However, we should not worry about its presence, because this animal will most probably quickly return to the forest environment.It is therefore worth finding outhow to distinguish a beech marten from a pine martenThere is a simple way to do it. Well, the patch on the pine marten visible on the chest is smaller, not split, yellow or cream in color.
Where can you find domestic marten?
In the past, martens living in the wild made their nests in empty trees, rocks and in abandoned hollows. Currently, they have become synanthropic animals, that is, animals that have adapted to life in an environment heavily transformed by man.Beech marten is therefore found among human buildings , however, it chooses places rarely visited by people, such asbasements, attics, attics, arbors on plots- such where she will be warm and dry, but the human will not bother her often.
Damage caused by martens
Marten mainly feeds on insects, voles, rats, as well asmice which cause damage to the garden.This makes her a useful animal, and in this respect her presence in the garden is even desired. However,in the summer-autumn period, marten's food consists mainly of fruitsIt feeds on grapes, plums, apricots, cherries, pears, apples, mulberries, as well as rowan fruits growing on low trees and shrubs. In this waybeech marten causes a lot of damage togardens and food storage areas.
Pine marten. In the garden, it is less burdensome than a marten
There are also someinconveniences related to the marten's lifestyleFirst of all, the marten marks its territory - often creating huge piles of excrement, e.g. in cellars, attics, or under trees or shrubs. In addition,martens that manage to get inside garden arbors , attics or basements, can contribute to numerous damage to their insulation.They can also destroy the insulation of electric cables. The latter can be troublesome not only at home or in the attic, but also whenmarten gets under the hood of the car
It happens thatmartens attack domestic birds or eating eggsThey can even kidnap a rabbit! And unfortunately, when food is available, the marten kills more than it needs to feed itself. It is also very noisy, which can be heard mainly in the evenings.
Marten in the attic
Fig. shutterstock.com
Ways to get rid of beech marten
Fighting the marten unfortunately is not the easiest one , because not only is it an agile predator, but also this species is protected. The following methods will, however, not only humanely but also effectively get rid of the marten from the attic, attic, gazebo or garden
1. Start by sealing the building
Toget rid of the marten from the house or gazebo , you should carefully seal the holes and holes through which the animal can enter the gazebo. To do this, firstfind the way that the marten got to the buildingFor this purpose, it is best to walk around the house looking for droppings, paw prints and visible dirt. Marten can crawl up walls in search of holes (there may be nicks in the door, cracks in the walls).
If we do not find such traces - sprinkle the damp sand on the outside, near the walls, and sprinkle the attic floor with flour. The next day we shouldobserve traces of marten , which will allow us to find the place through which she got to the arbor. When we manage to locate them, we should carefullyseal all openings in the area after dark
Also remove the food source of the marten from the attic , that is, birds, mice and insects. The windows and openings in the attic can be secured with a net, and the gutters and ventilation openings can be covered with barbed wire bands used against birds.
Important!Do not seal the openings during the day as you can trap the marten inside the house. Only put on the seals after dark, when martens leave their lairs to search for food.
2. Install marten live shoes
Anothermethod to get rid of the marten from the attic, house or garden is to catch the animal and take it as far as possible from our plot , e.g. to the forest. For this purpose, we can use traps with a ratchet system (the so-calledrestraining trap ). We can buy them in garden stores or points with agricultural products.The marten trap should have entrances on both sidesand a latch release mechanism in the center of the trap. Marten traps are usually made of galvanized steel wires and their dimensions are approximately 80-120 cm in length and approximately 30 cm in height and width. Some producers add tarpaulins and marten attractant to the traps.The prices of marten trapsrange from several dozen to over PLN 100, depending on the size of the trap and its purpose (some of them also allow you to catch e.g.foxes) and possibly attached accessories.
Marten roaming the farm
Fig. depositphotos.com
Chicken eggs are best used as bait for the marten.Fruit and poultry also work well. Put the trap in gloves so thatthe marten cannot smell the human's smellAfter catching the marten, ensure that it is transported in good conditions to a safe place, reducing its additional sources of stress as much as possible.
Note!Do not be discouraged if you do not manage to catch a marten right away. Martens are characterized by neophobia, i.e. a fear of new people and situations. Therefore, it may take many days from setting the cage to catching the marten.
3. Apply marten repellers
However, before we spend several dozen zlotys on a marten trap, it is worth trying to scare the animal away and drive it out of our home.This is favored by the fact that martens are quite skittish animals.A way to get rid of the marten from the attic, house or garden is to buy a repeller , which, thanks to the emission of ultrasounds of variable frequency, will discourage the marten from visiting the area. You can also install an installation with a motion detector, which will activate the alarm or turn on the lighting when a marten is detected.
The simplest and at the same time the cheapest will be to useaerosol repeller against marten , which should be sprayed places visited by the marten. This is a method of marten that should be used first, before you decide to spend more.
We recommend especially the marten and fox repeller spray based on natural essential oils and safe for use in the attic, basement or garden gazebo. In addition, it also deters foxes, voles, wild boars and moles. Therefore, we will find many uses for it on the farm and in the garden.
Remember, however, that the durability of such protection is not very long, because the preparation weathers quickly. Much better results are achieved bybags containing KUNAGONE marten repeller , which are placed in selected places. Their operation is discussed in more detail later in the text.
Marten repeller KUNAGONE
4. Invite natural marten enemies
A simple, popular and cheapway to get rid of a marten from a garden or houseis to spread it in the dog's fur near the place that the marten has chosen for its lair. The smell of a natural enemy should scare the marten and discourage it from returning. It is also worth letting your dog in the places where the marten is, which will not only leave its smell, but can also enough bark.
Properties of the dog's coat marten repellentuses a marten repeller for the car and home Kunagone . The bag with the preparation contains a mixture of bristles of several breeds of dogs with substances enhancing the smell effect.To get rid of the marten, just place the Kunagone under the hood of a car, in the attic or in any other place where you are teased by the marten.
Fighting the beech martenis not the easiest one. However, it is important to be determined and consistent in action.Getting rid of the marten from the house or car may turn out to be laborious and time-consuming , but using the above methods should bring positive results.
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