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Pine marten protected UK

Updated: 23 October 2026

A can of marten spray can look official. A long registration number, the word natural, or a sentence about European biocide law does not tell you whether a pine marten is protected in Britain. If you searched because a pine marten is protected in the UK, the limit comes before the basket. We read NatureScot, the Vincent Wildlife Trust, Natural Resources Wales and the Health and Safety Executive, then checked what the six listings in our [marten spray comparison](/hub/pest-control/marten-spray) actually print. Prices were captured on 19 October 2026. We did not inspect a loft or obtain a licence. This page is the legal boundary. It does not pick a winner.

A can of marten spray can look official. A long registration number, the word natural, or a sentence about European biocide law does not tell you whether a pine marten is protected in Britain.

Our top picks

IRONTEK IRONTEK lavender oil spray, 300 ml

Best overall

IRONTEK IRONTEK lavender oil spray, 300 ml
7.1/10about £20.45
View offer
BMUT BMUT geraniol marten spray, 500 ml

Alternative

BMUT BMUT geraniol marten spray, 500 ml
8.7/10about £16.00
View offer
K2 K2 cable coating spray, 400 ml

Alternative

K2 K2 cable coating spray, 400 ml
7.8/10about £6.91
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Which marten the law is about
  2. 2.Dens, kits, and the house exception
  3. 3.Biocide claims on the bottle
  4. 4.What you can still do

Which marten the law is about

Britain's marten is the pine marten, Martes martes. NatureScot dates full protection to 1988. The Vincent Wildlife Trust describes a Scottish recovery, a mid-Wales population, and a scarce English range. The beech marten of continental car adverts is a different species, outside the British Isles on the range accounts we used. Pine martens are fully protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, including dens and disturbance. If the only evidence is chewed car wiring, that problem is the car wiring page.

Dens, kits, and the house exception

A den includes a roof space where an animal is living. Do not trap a pine marten or block the den because a listing says marten deterrent. The Vincent Wildlife Trust factsheet describes young roughly from March to July. Excluding a breeding family is a licence job. A non-breeding animal in a dwelling house may be deterred without a licence. That is not permission to clear a nursery den. Phone NatureScot, Natural Resources Wales, or the English nature body before you block a hole.
IRONTEK IRONTEK lavender oil spray, 300 ml

Testsieger

IRONTEK IRONTEK lavender oil spray, 300 ml
7.1/10about £20.45
View offer

Biocide claims on the bottle

The HSE glossary lists product type 19 as repellents and product type 14 as rodenticides. In Great Britain a biocidal product needs a GB authorisation before it is supplied. Northern Ireland follows the EU Biocidal Products Regulation. BMUT prints N-111079. This research did not match it, or any of the six ASINs, to the HSE list. Not finding a row is not an approval. IRONTEK's UFI is not an HSE authorisation. K2's seller says the coating is not a biocidal product. That is the seller's classification. The buying guide separates the cans by job, after this limit.

What you can still do

You can still keep food out of the cabin and use a garage without going near a pine marten den. A scent or coating on intact cable is a smaller bet, only on a cold, dry bay, as the how to use page describes. It is not a tool for a den. Do not aim a garden spray into a roof you suspect is a pine marten shelter. Leave the can on the shelf if the next step would be a blocked den or a spray into a nursery loft.

Common questions

Are pine martens protected across the UK, and how is Northern Ireland different?
Pine martens are fully protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. NatureScot, Natural Resources Wales and the Vincent Wildlife Trust describe that protection for the populations they cover, including dens and disturbance. The biocide difference is separate: Great Britain uses GB authorisation under the GB Biocidal Products Regulation, and Northern Ireland follows the EU Biocidal Products Regulation. A product legal to supply in one regime is not automatically authorised in the other.
Can you trap or block a pine marten in the loft?
No. NatureScot lists intentionally or recklessly killing, injuring or taking a pine marten, damaging or obstructing a den, and disturbing an animal in a den. Blocking a hole while an animal is inside sits on that list. Trapping is taking. If you need an animal moved, you ask the nature body about a licence. A marketplace spray does not replace that call.
What is the dwelling-house exception, in one careful sentence?
NatureScot notes a dwelling-house exception, and the Vincent Wildlife Trust factsheet says a non-breeding pine marten in a dwelling house may be deterred without a licence, while excluding a breeding family, with young roughly from March to July, is a licence matter. That is not permission to empty a nursery den or to spray a loft and hope.
Is N-111079 valid in Britain, and does K2's not-a-biocide line settle it?
N-111079 is the German number printed on BMUT's amazon.co.uk listing. This research did not find it on the HSE authorised-products list, so it is not evidence of a GB authorisation. K2's seller says the coating is not a biocidal product under Regulation 528/2012. That sentence is the seller's view. It is not an HSE decision, and the live page still shows extremely flammable aerosol warnings.
Does peppermint oil escape the rules because it is a plant?
No. HSE treats repellents as product type 19 even when they do not kill, and a plant oil can still be the means of that repellence. Chemology's listing calls the formula plant-based and safe around pets when used as directed. The saved listing has no HSE number. Natural on a title is not a GB authorisation and not a reason to spray a protected den.
Who do you contact instead of buying another can?
Contact NatureScot, Natural Resources Wales, or the English nature body if the animal may be a pine marten, especially in a roof between March and July. Contact a garage if car wires are already chewed. Contact your insurer before a large claim, because coverage varies. Contact a pest contractor for a serious rat problem in a building. Another can with no verified GB authorisation does not answer any of those four calls.

Related pages

Marten spray

Best marten spray only when the job is named first

Marten spray buying guide before you choose the can

Stop rodents chewing car wires before you buy spray

How to use marten spray on a cold, dry UK engine bay

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures captured for these six listings on 19 October 2026. The cable-coating flammability warning was read on the live page on 21 October 2026. No laboratory spray trial was run.

  1. NatureScot, protected pine martens (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. NatureScot, pine marten (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Vincent Wildlife Trust, pine marten (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSE biocides glossary (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. HSE rodenticides (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. HSE product authorisation overview (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. The AA, vehicles damaged by wildlife (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. RAC Drive, rodent-related vehicle damage (retrieved 19 October 2026)