Marten in my garden: what to do?

The marten, considered a harmful animal, can destroy crops and flowers in the garden. Chicken owners are afraid of him because of his rampage in the chicken coops.

How to recognize a marten?

Weasel (Martes foina) belongs to the mustelidae family, like the ferret, otter and weasel. It differs from the marten, its close cousin, by its brownish-grey fur, white plastron reaching down to the front legs, shorter ears with a less prominent light edge, and shorter legs as well.

He lives in the countryside, in the woods, but also in the city. The animal does not hesitate to come to gardens, houses, garages, attics or attics, stables, to feed, to protect itself from the cold or to hide. Finally, unlike other pests, the marten is only active at night.

What damage can a weasel cause?

If the marten is feared, it is because this pest can cause damage outside the house as well as inside. Marten is opportunistic, its food is varied. This animal is carnivorous (rodents, birds), but also omnivorous (insects, berries, household waste, etc.). It attacks the roots of garden vegetables (green beans) and bulb plants.

The marten also likes fruit in the orchard. She especially likes apples, cherries, but also raspberries, blackberries, blackberries and blueberries.

Finally, the chicken coop is a very favorite place for the marten. She can easily slip through the fence and enter to eat the loaded eggs. Know that a weasel is an animal that will look for a way to get into the coop with great patience. It is able to penetrate a hole with a diameter of 5 cm! She does not hesitate to kill the chickens when they are upset and frightened by her presence.

How do I know if there is a marten in my garden?

Several visual, audio and olfactory cues will allow you to spot a marten passing within minutes. First, the animal makes many sounds during the period of its activity. Then the marten generally emits an unpleasant, stubborn smell. The latter can be reinforced when they mark their territory by urinating.

In the garden, the marten may leave droppings that are generally long, twisted and pointed. Finally, the visual clues are the most obvious: animal corpses bleeding and sometimes dragged into the shelter, chewed cables, vegetables sticking out of the ground, scratches in flower beds…

How to get rid of a marten?

This wild animal appears on the list of “species likely to cause damage” in the environmental law, but it cannot be killed. The marten is a protected species. Also, the only way to get rid of it is to move it away from the garden. There are several techniques for this without danger to the marten.

Annoy him with the smell

The first solution is to spray several places in the garden with a mixture of water and white vinegar, which will disturb the martens and make them disappear.

You can also use natural repellants such as essential oils:

Among the smells that the weasel can’t stand is coffee grounds. Spread on the ground, it is an effective natural alternative that is also beneficial for plants and the garden.

Use unwanted lights

You can also scare away the marten from your garden by using lights and motion detectors to scare it off. You can also use ultrasound to repel.

Protect sensitive areas such as the chicken coop (or a aviary )

Here are some simple actions:

• A fence with very tight mesh and deeply buried
• Sealing gaps in the fence
• Plug the tiniest hole in the coop
• Collect eggs from your chickens
• Bring the chickens at night

To catch a weasel

Finally, you can catch the animal with a cage trap that you place near your chicken coop. To attract a weasel, place an egg in the middle of a piece of straw to give the illusion of a nest. Once imprisoned, you can then release her into nature, the forest, the forest…