A ban on the use of rodent glue traps is due to be introduced in England after a private members bill received unanimous support in the House of Lords during its third and final reading.

The Unstuck campaign against the public use of these glue boards described them as “inhumane, indiscriminate and indefensible”, with the traps posing risks to other species such as hedgehogs, bats and birds, as well as domestic cats.

The news was welcomed by animal charity Humane Society International/UK, with executive director Claire Bass saying: “Glue traps are crude devices that cause horrific suffering to millions of animals.

“It is absolutely right that their public use will be banned, and we hope this will precipitate their removal from sale by retailers since it will be illegal for their customers to use them.”

Despite the fact that this kind of trap has the serious potential to cause prolonged and extreme suffering in animals, they are widely sold to the public online and in DIY and corner shops.

While public use will be banned, the legislation does contain an exemption for pest control professionals, who can apply for a licence to use them under certain circumstances. A similar move was recently made in New Zealand in 2015, with licences falling year on year since the ban was introduced. No approvals for use at all were made in 2021.

Commenting on the use of glue traps here at The Exterminator Pest Control, our Alison Smith says: “The use of glue boards and the sale should be limited to fully qualified pest control professionals.

“These need to be used in extreme circumstances only and all guidance should be followed as per the British Pest Control Association. No glue boards should be left on site unattended, in our opinion.”

 

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