Does chili help against martens?

Question: Does chili help against martens and can it be used as a repellent against wild animals ?

Answer: The spiciness of chillies (Capsaicin) naturally also works on the pain nerves of animals. Martens like to bite rubber hoses and cables in cars. If there is chili spice on the affected rubber parts, the martens immediately desist from biting. We are currently developing a Marten spray that ensures the chili spice adheres to the sprayed surfaces for a long time. Chili powder or chili sauce are not effective alternatives to get rid of martens, as they are easily washed away by the wind and weather. The answer is therefore a definite YES, chilies help to drive martens away in a way that is environmentally friendly and safe for the animals.

Further uses of chili as an animal repellent

In Africa, many farmers, in particular small farmers, are concerned that elephants will eat their entire harvest. An effective prevention method is to hang chilies on the fences around the fields at the head height of the elephants. In most cases, this simple method keeps the elephants away.

In Germany, many cabbage farmers have a completely different problem, namely hares and rabbits. They do a great deal of damage to the cabbage fields. A few years ago, we were quite taken back when some farmers purchased chili sauce in large quantities. The chili sauce, preferably Tabasco Red Pepper Sauce from McIlhenny, was heavily diluted with water and then sprayed on the fields. Hares and rabbits avoid such cabbage fields. Over time, particularly in the area of organic agriculture, there have been more and more attempts to find alternative animal repellents such as chili.