Location, bait and much more about the marten trap

the essentials in brief

• Martens may only be caught with live traps and under no circumstances may they be killed.
• Egg and dried fish, meat or fruit are great bait for the marten trap.
• If the live trap smells even a little bit like humans, the marten will avoid it.

Which bait for the marten trap?

Martens love to eat eggs, which is why they are particularly feared by chicken owners

Martens are omnivores, but of course they have preferences. If there is something in the trap that they particularly like to eat, the likelihood that they will enter is significantly higher. Special treats that have proven themselves as bait are:

• Eggs
• Dried fish
• Dried fruit
• Dried meat
• cat food

Since martens also have different tastes, it is advisable to serve them differently. In addition to or as a substitute for bait, you can use Maderlocks available in specialist shops. This is sometimes included with the purchase of a marten trap.

Equip the marten trap with bait

When equipping the marten trap, make sure that you do not leave behind any human odor. Wear odorless gloves when placing the bait!
Place the the bait on the trigger or in front of it AND behind it, so that the marten definitely steps on the trigger.

Buy a marten trap or build it yourself?

Marten traps from specialist retailers are usually made of wire and metal

A solid marten trap can cost over € 50. There is a great temptation to build it yourself. But is that really advisable? If you enjoy manual activities and / or useful material at home, you are welcome to try building the marten trap yourself. Otherwise you should refrain from doing this, because:

• Homemade marten traps are not necessarily cheaper than bought ones.
• Getting the locking mechanism working is not easy.
• If the opening does not close reliably or if the trap is not secured strong enough, the marten could manage to break out of the trap.
• The self-made trap must be cleaned particularly thoroughly in order to remove the human odor.

Buy Marten Trap

Countless marten traps from different providers are available in online and specialist shops. The prices fluctuate from just under € 20 to over € 60. When buying a marten trap, you should pay particular attention to one thing: The trap must be expressly approved for martens and should have a sufficient length of at least 80, better 100 cm. The material is not important for the marten trap. For example, models made of wood as well as models made of wire and metal are offered in specialist shops.

background

How does a marten trap work?

Build a marten trap yourself

Building a marten trap yourself requires a lot of creativity and technical talent. The key to the marten trap is the locking mechanism. It's best to watch a few videos explaining this (as above) so that you understand how it works.

The right material for the marten trap

Even if marten traps from the trade are mostly made of wire, you should make the self-made marten trap out of hard wood or MDF panels. On the one hand because this material is easier to process, on the other hand because it is more complicated for the marten to move or break through hard and heavy material.

Pay attention to this when building

• You should absolutely avoid any varnish, paint or any other coating that the marten can - and will - smell.
• For the same reason, you should never glue the trap, but screw it or nail it thoroughly.
• The marten trap should be at least three feet long.
• The trigger should be in the middle so that the marten's tail is not pinched when the opening closes.
• After closing the doors, they should be locked automatically from the outside so that the marten cannot break out.
• The marten trap should have an opening on both sides so that the marten can pass through as if it were a kind of tunnel.

Set up the marten trap correctly.

Before you set up your marten trap, you should “de-stink” it, ie remove any human odor. This works best with water without additives, best of all with rainwater. Just put your marten trap in the rain for a few days so that any human smell is washed away. If you want to wash the marten trap manually, you should absolutely wear odorless gloves and do not add any additives to the water.

Where to set up the marten trap?

Ideally, you should set up the marten trap where the marten will come anyway. If there is a hole in the fence or in the wall, this should be used. If you are not sure where the marten is walking in your attic, you can scatter ashes or sand so that the marten leaves its mark and you can follow its path.

Marder and many other uninvited guests always take the same route. If you identify this and set the trap right there, the marten may even fall into the trap without any bait.

When not to set up the marten trap.

Martens may not be caught during the closed season

Martens are not allowed to be caught all year round. Strictly speaking, catching is only permitted for a few months. Marten have closed season for most of the year. In most federal states, both stone and pine marten can be caught from mid-October to the end of February. Exceptions are Berlin, Brandenburg, Thuringia and Hamburg, where the pine marten is generally not allowed to be hunted. However, the shy pine marten, which avoids people, rarely causes damage. Martens on or in the house are almost always stone marten.

Digression

Penalties for Violation

What can be the reason if the marten does not fall into the trap?

It can take several weeks, sometimes months, for the marten to fall into the trap. This can have different reasons:

• The marten trap smells like humans and therefore the marten avoids it.
• The location where the trap was set is not on the marten's route.
• The marten is currently residing in another location.

If you have heard the marten, but he has avoided the trap, you should act: wash the trap again or leave them outside in the rain for a few days, change the bait and try a new one Location.

Marten trapped - what now?

When you have set up your marten trap, you should check at least once a day, or better twice a day in warm weather, to see whether the marten has been trapped. If the trap is in the attic above a room that you often use, there is no need to look - you will hear it when the marten has fallen into the trap.

Exposing martens.

A marten has to be exposed enough so that it does not find its way back "home"

In order not to unnecessarily stress the marten and possibly even run the risk of it breaking free, you should use the Expose martens as soon as possible. To do this, you should choose a location that is at least 25km away from the starting point and, if possible, not in the vicinity of other houses. Wire traps should be covered during transport so that the marten does not stress itself unnecessarily due to the visual impressions. But don't suffocate the poor animal!

Catch martens with the snap trap.

As I said, laypeople are prohibited from killing martens. Therefore, the snap trap falls out from the start. Furthermore, this excruciating process is completely unnecessary - every marten that falls into a snap trap would also be in walked a well-prepared live trap and if it is exposed at a sufficient distance, it does not come again. Snap traps are absolutely taboo when hunting marten.

Keep martens away.

If the marten has been trapped or if it has temporarily disappeared, you should try to block its access to to keep him away like that. Measures against martens include:

• Stretch fine wire in front of openings
• Repair broken roof tiles
• Secure raised roof tiles
• Block access to the rain gutter with fine-meshed wire
• Prevent climbing the rain gutter or bars from outside with the help of marten belts

Digression

Keep martens away from the car

The alternative: drive away martens.

Marten can be driven away with odorous substances, light and sounds

If, despite all your efforts, the marten does not fall into the trap, you have two options: Either you let an expert come and the one Remove martens for a fee or you try the Drive away martens.
There are a number of home remedies and aids in specialist shops for this, including:

It is best to combine several means and also to block all entrances.

frequently asked Questions

Which baits are suitable for the marten trap?

Martens are omnivores, but prefer animal food. Therefore, you should avoid the trap z. B. Garnish with dried meat or fish and / or egg. Marten also like to eat cat food.

Is a wire or wood marten trap better?

The material of the marten trap is of little concern as long as it does not smell of human beings. You should also line the bottom of wire traps with natural materials such as moss or straw, because martens do not like to walk on wire.

Can I also build a marten trap myself?

You can also build a marten trap yourself, provided you have a bit of imagination and technical talent, because it's not easy! The trap should be made of untreated wood and be sufficiently large. The hardest part is the locking mechanism that triggers when the marten steps on a platform that should be mounted in the middle of the trap.

Where do I set up the marten trap?

Marten traps should ideally be set up directly on the route of the marten, i.e. where it normally runs. This can be B. be behind a hole in the fence or in the wall or directly under a loose roof tile. If you are not sure where the marten is running, you can scatter ashes or sand around it Marten tracks to be able to track.

How long does it take for the marten to fall into the trap?

It can take several weeks or even months before the marten falls into the trap. So be patient. If the presence of the marten is clear, but it does not go into the trap, you should investigate it, possibly change the location or the food and remove any human odors.