Winter has arrived and you are wondering whether you can remove the marten belts and other marten deterrents? The annoying pest must be hibernating now, right? Unfortunately we have bad news for you.
Are martens less active in winter?
Martens do not hibernate in winter and are still active. They look for warm places to retreat such as attics, thermal insulation in walls and car engines. Marten protection measures such as marten belts should therefore be maintained even in winter.
Martens do not hibernate
Both pine martens and stone martens are active throughout the winter and do not hibernate. In winter they can become even more of a nuisance: martens - like many others - are cold in winter, which is why they look for warm places to retreat. These include attics, thermal insulation in walls and car engines.
Excursus
Marten in the car
The widespread rumor that martens eat car hoses is entirely false. A single marten doesn't even cause damage to the engine compartment. Martens retreat into the engine - especially in winter - because it is warm here. At some point the marten leaves its retreat again. If a new marten comes into the warm retreat, its territorial behavior awakens and becomes aggressive because it smells the marten that was previously calm here. In the course of his anger, he bites into hoses and cables. This behavior is particularly common during the mating season in March/April.
Marten hunting in winter
Martens are particularly popular in winter. On the one hand, winter is definitely outside the closed season, at least for stone martens, and on the other hand, the tracks are clearly visible in the white snow. In addition, martens have particularly beautiful, soft, dense fur in winter, which can be used to make bags or rugs.
No marten hunting without a hunting license
But be careful! In most federal states, hunting martens without a marten license is prohibited and can result in severe fines of up to €5,000. This often includes catching them in live traps at home. If in doubt, check with your local hunter.
