What is the best way to protect my car from martens?
Between April and June, martens bite the cables and hoses of up to 1,000 cars with comprehensive insurance on an average day – significantly more than in the rest of the year. The reason: In spring, martens react particularly bitingly to scent marks of foreign animals. Since martens like to retreat to warm engine compartments and mark their territory there, such scent marks can be found in many cars.
If a bitten line is noticed too late, this can cause dangerous failures of the vehicle technology. Marten bites are particularly serious in electric cars, as the entire cable set often has to be replaced in the case of defective high-voltage cables. How can drivers effectively keep rodents away from the car and avoid damage?
1. Tip: Professional engine washing
Anyone who has martens in the neighbourhood or notices traces of a marten on their car should have their engine compartment professionally cleaned. Because: Martens react to nothing as aggressively as to the scent traces of their conspecifics. This is why cars that are often parked in other places and thus in the territories of other martens are particularly often affected. Regularly removing the scent marks can effectively prevent marten bites.
Tip 2: Seal off the engine compartment
Partitions for the entire engine compartment are also effective. They prevent the marten from even getting to the cables and hoses. There are parts for many models to retrofit, and some manufacturers offer the bulkheads ex works – but as additional equipment.
Which cars are particularly at risk?
Cars that are often parked in changing places or in the territories of different martens are particularly at risk. The reason: martens like to slip into the warm engine compartments of cars. Here they then mark their territory with a secretion. If a car is parked in different areas, the appropriately marked lines are often completely bitten by other martens. If a bitten line is noticed too late, this can cause dangerous failures of the vehicle technology. Marten bites are particularly serious in electric cars, as the entire cable set often has to be replaced in the case of defective high-voltage cables.
3. Tip: Sheath cables and hoses
Once the stone marten is in the engine compartment, flexible tubes made of hard plastic can help. The so-called corrugated pipes also withstand the long teeth of the martens. They are simply pulled over the hoses and cables (e.g. ignition cables) in the engine compartment. But be careful: the plastic pipes must not get to the hot parts of the engine. And: This method offers protection for cables and hoses, but does not prevent damage to rubber sleeves and insulation materials in the car.
4. Tip: Place wire mesh under the engine compartment
It also makes sense to seal off the entire engine compartment, for example by means of elastic wire mesh that is placed under the engine. These barriers prevent the animals from getting to the cables and hoses at all. The reason: the animals avoid the wobbly ground.
This is how marten bites are insured
In 2022, marten bites led to losses of 104 million euros on cars with comprehensive insurance. The number of marten bites has increased only slightly compared to 2021, but the individual claim is becoming more and more expensive: in 2022, insurers paid an average of almost 500 euros for each marten bite. That was around ten percent more than in 2021.
If you have partial or fully comprehensive insurance for your car, you are protected against the financial damage caused by marten bites. Partial comprehensive insurance usually covers damage caused by collisions with furred game, glass breakage, vehicle theft/attempted burglary, theft / damage to accessories, hail/storm, flood, fire.
In addition to the benefits of partial comprehensive insurance, fully comprehensive insurance compensates for other damage to your own car, for example damage after an accident you have caused yourself. It also covers the costs of vandalism damage such as scratched paint or a dented door. Motor vehicle liability insurance, on the other hand, is not sufficient in the event of marten damage to the car.
Important: Some hull insurance rates only cover direct damage, i.e. only replace the damaged parts. Other tariffs also include the sometimes expensive consequential damage to the car. This insurance also pays out if bitten ignition cables paralyze the catalytic converter, leaking cooling hoses lead to engine overheating or, in the worst case, broken rubber sleeves lead to damage to the vehicle's drive or axle joints.
Tip: Work under the bonnet or vehicle electrics must be carried out properly and professionally. If you are not a car expert yourself, it is better to visit a specialist workshop if in doubt.
Rather does not protect against marten bite: secrete odors
Foreign odors as protection from the animals - that is supposed to help with marten defense? Many drivers swear by foul odors to deter martens. There are many supposedly highly effective insider tips for the best fragrances. Among other things, dog hair, toilet blocks in the car, special pastes, garlic cloves and mothballs are supposed to help; some drivers also do not stop at urinating into the engine block of their vehicle.
However, experience shows: If at all, the martens are only kept away from the odors for a short time. The animals usually get used to the stench quickly. The only thing that often disappears even faster is the effect of the fragrance dispenser. After the first ride through the rain, many scent marks are already history again.
source : What is the best way to protect my car from martens? (dieversicherer.de)