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Stop animals chewing car wires

Updated: 23 October 2026

You have opened the bonnet on a car that has sat for a week, and something has nested or nicked a cover. The listing says marten. In Britain the job is to stop animals chewing car wires when the animals are mice, rats or squirrels, with foxes also named by the AA. A gadget comes after food, a look and a proper repair. The [marten repellent comparison](/hub/pest-control/marten-repellent) holds the engine-bay rows, in GBP from 19 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Updated 23 October 2026 by the Products Compared editorial team. This is not a road test.

You have opened the bonnet on a car that has sat for a week, and something has nested or nicked a cover. The listing says marten.

Our top picks

HONGXIAN HONGXIAN UK1314 ultrasonic strobe

Best overall

HONGXIAN HONGXIAN UK1314 ultrasonic strobe
9.6/10about £18.90
View offer
BMUT BMUT MS-500 geraniol spray

Rank 2

BMUT BMUT MS-500 geraniol spray
8.2/10about £16.00
View offer
AROBA AROBA Kunagone pouch

Best value

AROBA AROBA Kunagone pouch
7.6/10about £5.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What UK breakdown services actually report
  2. 2.Checks that cost nothing
  3. 3.If you still add a product
  4. 4.Repair and insurance

What UK breakdown services actually report

The RAC, writing about 2024, reported a 28% rise in rodent-related vehicle claims and an average claim of £2,494, using Aviva figures. That average is not a quote for your loom. The same piece says check a car left for a week or more, keep food out, watch warning lights, and use a garage for the repair. Insurance may cover animal damage. The excess is on your policy. The AA has described foxes, mice, rats and squirrels damaging vehicles. A stone marten in the bay is the continental story these titles use. Hagerty UK treats chewed wiring on a stored classic as a fire risk.

Checks that cost nothing

Take food out of the picture before you add a device: dog food in the boot, a bin against the bumper, or bird seed in the garage. Open the bonnet of a car that has stood a week or more, in daylight, and look for droppings, shredded insulation and chewed plastic. If the copper is already bright, or the car will not start, the device is late. Tape is not a repair. None of these listings claim CAN-bus compatibility. A product comes after that, on a car whose wires are intact.
HONGXIAN HONGXIAN UK1314 ultrasonic strobe

Testsieger

HONGXIAN HONGXIAN UK1314 ultrasonic strobe
9.6/10about £18.90
View offer

If you still add a product

Scent needs no wiring. The best value pouch is the AROBA Kunagone at £5.99, 3.8 from 108 reviews. Reviews in that file, not marked United Kingdom, say the pouch was chewed or carried off. The top-pick spray is BMUT MS-500 at £16.00, 4.1 from 385, with no UK text here. The pouch-or-box fork is on ultrasonic or scent marten repellent. A box is useful only if you can keep it cool. HONGXIAN at £18.90 has the UK mouse comments and a solar-versus-USB conflict. Vsshe at £8.99 has one UK review in which rats chewed the unit's wires. Polarity and heat are on how to use marten repellent. Spike belts stay off this page.

Repair and insurance

A chewed loom needs the right wire, the right joint, and a look at the rest of that route. Photograph the bay before you clean it. The RAC says insurance may cover animal damage if you check the excess. This page cannot see your schedule. A pouch or a fused box is an extra, not the repair.

Common questions

Is a marten the likely animal in a UK engine bay?
The likely chewers in UK breakdown reporting are mice, rats and squirrels, with foxes also named by the AA. The RAC's 2024 piece is about rodent-related claims, up 28%, not about stone martens. Pine martens live in Britain and are protected. They are a woodland species, not the default under a commuter bonnet. A listing titled marten is using a continental product name. Identify droppings and nesting before you buy for an animal you have not seen.
What should I do before I buy a device?
Remove food from the car and from against the bumper, including pet food and seed. Open the bonnet of a car that has stood for a week or more, in daylight, and look for droppings and chewed plastic. If the copper is intact, a weekly repeat of that look is the free control. If it is not intact, book a garage before you add a pouch or a box. None of these products repairs a wire.
Will insurance pay for chewed wires?
It may. The RAC says animal damage can be covered and tells you to check the excess. That is not a promise that your policy pays, or that it pays in full. Photograph the bay before you clean it. The £2,494 figure is an average claim in the RAC article, drawn from Aviva, not an offer on your car. A small sensor plug can sit inside the excess. Ask the insurer with the photos in front of you.
Which products in this set are meant for a bonnet?
Pouches and sprays: Kunagone singles at £5.86 and £5.99, and the BMUT geraniol spray at £16.00. Boxes with a car story: HONGXIAN, Technaxx with its 12 V cable, the vsshe twin, and the Carpoint/Kemo 12 V title. Veddelholzer needs USB, which many bays do not have. Spike belts are for pipes and trees. No row here claims CAN-bus compatibility. The four-pouch set's UK reviews are about badgers.
What if the deterrent's own wires get chewed?
That is already in this folder. The only UK review of the vsshe twin says the unit worked at first and that rats then chewed its wires. You have added a lead in the same place the animal feeds. A fuse limits the electrical fault. It does not stop teeth. If you see that pattern, remove the unit, repair any damage properly, and go back to food and parking. Another identical box repeats the snack.
When is the car unsafe to keep driving?
Stop when warning lights are on, the car will not start, you can see bare copper, or the chew is near fuel or a hot exhaust. The RAC points those cases at a garage. Hagerty treats chewed wiring on a stored car as a fire risk. A short trip to see if it is all right is how a nicked loom becomes a breakdown. Tape is not the repair. Photograph it, and have the loom done before you think about a repellent.

Related pages

Best marten repellent

Marten repellent

Marten repellent buying guide: scent, sound or belt

How to use a marten repellent: pouch, spray or box

Ultrasonic or scent marten repellent: which to buy

Sources

Public UK sources used for wildlife law, biocides and vehicle damage. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures captured for these 11 listings. Last checked 19 October 2026.

  1. NatureScot, pine martens (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Mammal Society, pine marten (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE biocides scope (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. ASA pest repellents (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. RAC Drive, rodent vehicle damage (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. The AA, vehicles damaged by wildlife (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK humane trapping, March 2019 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Schedule 5 (retrieved 19 October 2026)