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They like to strike from May to July: martens with their sharp teeth biting into cables, lines and hoses – to annoy affected drivers. Last year, Axa Insurance received about 15,500 damage reports regarding martens alone. In total, it costs about CHF 8 million in Axa alone. It should be around 40 million Swiss francs throughout Switzerland.
A marten alone is no problem: when nocturnal animals make themselves comfortable in the cozy and warm engine compartment, they mark their territory with scent markings. If another marten wanders into foreign territory, it reacts nervously and aggressively to the odor of its fellows and therefore bites all the coolant hoses, brake lines and electronics.
Last year’s camp explosion caused significantly more marten damage to mobile homes. It’s frustrating when vacation ends because of gnawed wires. Statistically, the probability of marten damage is particularly high in the cantons of Jura, Appenzell Innerrhoden and Thurgau due to the high marten population. Higher cantons such as the Valais or Obwalden and Nidwalden suffer 60 to 70 percent less damage from marten because they live mostly at mid-altitudes.
5 effective tips
AGVS Head of Technology and Environment Markus Peter has the following tips for all outdoor parkers:
- The most effective protection against marten damage is parking in an underground garage.
- Drivers who are unable to park their car in the garage should thoroughly wash (or flush) the engine regularly to get rid of any traces of marten smell.
- Robust cable sheathing for endangered parts also helps prevent damage.
- Electrical shielding devices, such as ultrasonic devices, are particularly effective: they emit an acoustic signal that the human ear cannot detect – which martens do not like at all.
- Also useful: a control unit connected to the vehicle battery that supplies high voltage to metal plates attached to possible entry points, similar to a pasture fence. The animal does not suffer any permanent damage from the electric shock.
On the other hand, the expert thinks little of the other tools suggested on the internet: the wire mesh under the car (since it is said that martens do not like to walk on the wire), human, cat or dog hair scattered under it, toilet stones, mothballs. or smelly bags in the engine compartment or a very soft radio next to the car – the effect is debatable at least.
Source: Blick
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
