Across Germany, France, Austria, and Switzerland, one small animal causes more damage every year than most homeowners ever realize. It is not a wild dog. It is not a fox. It is the stone marten — a curious, cat-sized climber that sleeps in your attic by day and chews through your car engine by night. Insurance companies even have a special name for the damage it causes: Marderschaden. A single nighttime visit can cost anywhere from 200 to 2,000 euros. Here are 15 simple, natural ways to send it packing — before it sends you the bill.
Why It Loves Your Car Engine
The stone marten — sometimes called the beech marten or, in French, la fouine — is always looking for a warm, hidden place to nap during the day. Your engine bay is perfect. Soft hoses, rubber wires, sound-insulation foam — to a marten this feels like a cozy nest with a built-in chew toy. The trouble starts when it bites through brake lines, fuel hoses, or ignition cables. The repair bill almost always starts with the letter “e” — for “expensive.”