ᐅ Marten on and possibly already inside the roof structure

Hello everyone,

I’m feeling a bit uncertain right now. I have a marten on the roof. We live in a mid-terrace house, and it’s known that there are martens around here. So far, I’ve only occasionally heard one running across the roof, which wouldn’t be too bad. But this is the first time I felt like it might be coming inside. I clearly heard noises in the sloping roof space above me, and I also heard some rustling. In addition, there was a crashing noise (roof tiles?).

I’m really anxious about this, especially that the animal might damage the roof. My question is: what steps should I take? Unfortunately, I can’t get onto the roof. We are on a hillside, and it drops down about 8 or 9 meters (26 or 30 feet), which is too dangerous for me. Should I call an exterminator or a roofer? Or should I contact the building insurance (I don’t even know if damage caused by martens is covered)? I just want to get rid of the animal as quickly as possible and hope the roof doesn’t have to be opened up. That would be a financial burden I can’t handle right now. We only moved in about nine months ago.

Hello questioner.
I am certainly not the right person to ask about small game hunting.
But what facts can you point to so far? Actually, none. It’s all just assumptions.
To choose a clear direction for the future, an inspection of the attic is probably necessary.
And to my knowledge, this is usually not accessible through the roof tiles, but rather by a ladder inside the house.
Inquiring with the insurance company is also like searching in the fog with a long pole.
What damages are you referring to? So far, any damages are purely assumed.
From practical experience, I am not aware of any damage to the property caused by martens, but only (understandably) a form of odor nuisance (from brought-in prey) and, of course, the unpleasant noise of their movement.
Anyway: nothing replaces a thorough inspection of the attic!
Regards, KlaRa

KlaRa schrieb:

And to my knowledge – at least not usually – it can’t be accessed through the roof tiles, but rather by a ladder from the interior.

Thanks, KlaRa, for your detailed answer, and sorry for the late reply. We had a pest control professional here in early February, and he said that blocking the exit points only helps to a certain extent. I had identified a possible opening. He said the only effective measure is to block the routes to the roof. The neighbors were very cooperative, and he installed thorny barriers at the relevant spots, fixed like bird spikes. After that, it was quiet for almost two months. Unfortunately, I heard the marten again about a week ago, and this morning I heard it in the attic space — so between the roof tiles and the drywall panels.
I’ve now tried once more to stuff the holes closed with welded wire mesh. Once, I heard it try to lift a roof tile.
I have also set up a trail camera on the balcony to see where it is getting onto the roof.

This is definitely a frustrating situation, and I’m worried about the potential for significant financial damage. I’ve already described this in another forum, but I’m hoping someone here has had similar experience and might have a solution.

If it helps you feel better, martens have lived in the attic of my parents’ old farmhouse for decades. I could hear them moving around above the rooms in the attic when I was a child, sometimes more, sometimes less. Since the new roof was installed, it has become less frequent, but occasionally one is still there. So far, they have never caused any damage, even though sometimes it sounds like a circus up there.

I’m not trying to romanticize martens in the attic 😉 but it doesn’t necessarily mean they will start tearing your roof apart.

The tenant in the attic (it doesn’t have to be a marten; raccoons or dormice also like to move in).

KlaRa schrieb:

Anyway: nothing beats an inspection walk in the attic!
Regards: KlaRa

What do you expect to see? Probably – nothing at all. It won’t wave at you. If you’re “lucky,” you might notice droppings or a feeding area with possible food remnants.

HubiTrubi40 schrieb:

We had an exterminator come in early February, and he said that sealing the exits only works to a limited extent. I had identified a possible opening. He said the only thing that really helps is to block access to the roof.

Indeed, they usually have one entrance and one exit. But you don’t know which is which. Since the animal usually sleeps upstairs during the day, if you seal openings, you might trap it inside. Then it will try to escape, causing damage in the process. It will keep working until it gets out. In this respect, I agree with the exterminator: you can only make it uncomfortable for it in your home. Hardware cloth (wire mesh) works well here; they tend to avoid crossing it. Downspouts are often used as climbing aids, so what you have done is good. You can also look for scratch marks on the downspouts. However, this alone will not be enough, as the animal will find another way. Possibly even your neighbor’s downspouts—as they are known to jump a few meters (yards) from roof to roof.

Make it uncomfortable for it—it wants to sleep quietly in your home and hunts at night (and you’ll hear it): play music during the day in the attic. Use a timer to turn the light on and off upstairs.

What else? Luck and patience....

Good luck.

Good evening,

We also had a problem with martens. What helped was fastening every other tile securely (so the marten could no longer lift the tiles) and installing rabbit wire under the ridge (or ridge beam). For this, we removed the top row of bricks and stapled the wire onto the roof battens...
Time required – 4 hours with 2 people... No issues for almost a year now!