Marmot Repellant

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Jorts
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Marmot Repellant

Post by Jorts »

Seems this vermin can really wreak havoc. I've never had one of these little bastards attack my car while I'm off hiking but sounds like it can be an issue. Anyone have good tips and tricks to suppress their wrath?

I don't even know what attracts them to a vehicle in the first place. Are they antifreeze junkies?
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E_A_Marcus_949
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Re: Marmot Repellant

Post by E_A_Marcus_949 »

Good thread below. I posted a few items last year on what I did. Page 5 maybe? I wrap my car in snow fencing, as was suggested to me a year or so back.

https://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=58059
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Scott P
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Re: Marmot Repellant

Post by Scott P »

Jorts wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 8:01 am I don't even know what attracts them to a vehicle in the first place. Are they antifreeze junkies?
Apparently they like to chew radiator hoses and wiring.

In some California National Parks at least, the NPS says to wrap your car in a tarp when parking at the trailheads, but I haven't seen it in Colorado yet.
Marmot-Mobile_1.jpg
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Some people use coyote urine, but one person I know of who was using it still got his wires chewed.

So far I haven't had any vehicle problems with marmots that have caused damage, but I have slept by the car at Rollins Pass and heard one trying to chew or scratch things under the car. He or she wasn't exactly trying to be quiet so it would wake me up and I would have to go chase it off. I would assume that at other times when I have been out away from the car marmots have done the same, but I have never had my car not start because the wires were chewed, at least so far.
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Re: Marmot Repellant

Post by 9patrickmurphy »

No marmots, but I've had a squirrel and a mouse make their way inside my cabin to get at my food. Still have no clue how they managed it as my windows were closed, there must have been a hole somewhere...

I'm a light sleeper so it was crazy annoying both times but I've never gone through the effort to actually rodent-proof my car. The fence thing seems like a good fix for day hiking but must be a huge headache if you're sleeping inside your car. Anyone sleep in their car and use a marmot fence? Could you just keep an oversize fence and make like a perimeter around the car but not tight up to it? Those fences must be pretty big and take up a lot of room inside...
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Re: Marmot Repellant

Post by E_A_Marcus_949 »

9patrickmurphy wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 8:54 am I'm a light sleeper so it was crazy annoying both times but I've never gone through the effort to actually rodent-proof my car. The fence thing seems like a good fix for day hiking but must be a huge headache if you're sleeping inside your car. Anyone sleep in their car and use a marmot fence? Could you just keep an oversize fence and make like a perimeter around the car but not tight up to it? Those fences must be pretty big and take up a lot of room inside...
https://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... 9&start=48 halfway down you'll see my car, two pictures. The second one the door is open. It's a pain but worth it. The fencing doesn't take up that much space and is up and down within 10min each. It's worth it not to have my car wires bitten up miles away from a tow (and a costly one!). I'd thought about a perimeter fence, but those guys can climb over things. With the fence around the car and sleeping in it, I just wrapped it so I could get in/out of the car door and then rolled the window down and had a table with rocks, stuck my head and arms out the window, and placed the rocks on the ground to close up the door gap of fence. It's not graceful, but it's effective.
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Re: Marmot Repellant

Post by 9patrickmurphy »

E_A_Marcus_949 wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 8:59 am
9patrickmurphy wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 8:54 am I'm a light sleeper so it was crazy annoying both times but I've never gone through the effort to actually rodent-proof my car. The fence thing seems like a good fix for day hiking but must be a huge headache if you're sleeping inside your car. Anyone sleep in their car and use a marmot fence? Could you just keep an oversize fence and make like a perimeter around the car but not tight up to it? Those fences must be pretty big and take up a lot of room inside...
https://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... 9&start=48 halfway down you'll see my car, two pictures.
Just what I'm looking for, thanks! I feel like I could use this as an option but looks like enough effort that I wouldn't want to use it every time. Definitely for those high-altitude parking spots or where you're the only car around, seems like a great idea.
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Re: Marmot Repellant

Post by Jorts »

The old thread is golden. Thanks for linking to it. And thanks for all the suggestions dispensed.
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Re: Marmot Repellant

Post by montanahiker »

9patrickmurphy wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 9:04 am
E_A_Marcus_949 wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 8:59 am
9patrickmurphy wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 8:54 am I'm a light sleeper so it was crazy annoying both times but I've never gone through the effort to actually rodent-proof my car. The fence thing seems like a good fix for day hiking but must be a huge headache if you're sleeping inside your car. Anyone sleep in their car and use a marmot fence? Could you just keep an oversize fence and make like a perimeter around the car but not tight up to it? Those fences must be pretty big and take up a lot of room inside...
https://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... 9&start=48 halfway down you'll see my car, two pictures.
Just what I'm looking for, thanks! I feel like I could use this as an option but looks like enough effort that I wouldn't want to use it every time. Definitely for those high-altitude parking spots or where you're the only car around, seems like a great idea.
I did this a couple times last summer. Who knows if it worked or if the marmots just weren't around but at least I didn't have to worry about them. I wrapped the fencing around a ski pole so it didn't take up too much room.
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