PHOTO BY CREATIVENATURE_NL

INHUMANEINDISCRIMINATE
INDEFENSIBLE:
THE CASE FOR A UK BAN ON RODENT GLUE TRAPS

1

PHOTO BY M SIMMONDSCONTENTS
Executive summary................................................................... 3
Introduction............................................................................... 4
Inhumane................................................................................... 5
Glue traps and UK law.............................................................. 8
UK public use of and attitudes to glue traps.......................... 9
Indiscriminate.......................................................................... 10
Indefensible............................................................................. 10
Humane, non-lethal solutions................................................ 12
Conclusion and recommendations......................................... 152

PHOTO BY JEAN-JACQUES BOUGEOTEXECUTIVE SUMMARYGLUE TRAPS ARE A CRUDE AND BASIC RODENTERADICATION PRODUCT THAT ARE WIDELY AND
PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON THE UK MARKET. Designed totrap, but not kill, rats and mice, the innocuous images andevasive wording on their packaging belie the evidence thatshows their use routinely causes trapped animals extreme
physical pain, suffering and a death that takes hours or evendays.

An additional cause for concern
is the accidental capture of nontarget animals, including birds andcats, who may be injured and evenperish after becoming stuck to acarelessly-placed trap.

“The RSPCA is opposed tothe manufacture, sale anduse of any glue-type trap
because they cause
unacceptable sufferingand are, by their nature,indiscriminate.”5

For these key reasons, Humane Society International,
supported by the RSPCA, is calling on the UK government
to follow the examples of Ireland and New Zealand andban the public use of glue traps, coupled with significantly
restricting and formally regulating their use by industry. Thisban would be a critical first step in a suite of measures weare advocating, to ensure that the welfare of animals termed‘pests’ is properly and consistently protected under UK law.

Used by professional rodent exterminators as a last resort
when all other options have failed (at least in theory), theindustry, represented by the Pest Management Alliance1,
has drafted a Code of Best Practice2 in order to promote themost humane use of the traps by professionals. Yet, rodent
glue traps are also sold throughout the UK for domestic use
both online and in stores. According to a recent poll, almost
a quarter of the UK public has used or would consider using
them3. Many websites and hundreds of retailers, including
corner-shops, pet shops, chemists, hardware stores, and DIY
and garden centres, sell these traps to members of the public
whether or not they have tried, or even considered, otheroptions.

A YouGov poll of 2,000 British adults conducted on behalfof Humane Society International in June 20154 found that:• More than half of the people surveyed said theyeither wouldn’t know what to do with an animalcaught on a glue trap or would recommend anaction that risked committing an offence under the
Animal Welfare Act (2006).

The sale of glue traps to the public puts the purchaser atrisk of breaking the law without even realising it. Unlessthe person who laid the trap checks it frequently, and kills acaught animal immediately and humanely (with one sharpblow), he or she may have caused ‘unnecessary suffering’.
This is a prosecutable offence under the Animal Welfare Act(2006). Our polling shows that the majority of people are
either not informed, willing, able, or motivated enough to
avoid causing ‘unnecessary suffering’ when using glue traps.

• The latter included 9% who said they would drown
the animal and 6% who said they would leave theanimal to die on the trap.
• Only 20% of respondents would recommend killinga trapped animal using the method advised by theprofessional pest control industry and regarded byexperts as being ‘humane’ (hitting the animal witha sharp blow).
• 68% agree glue traps should be banned in the UK.

The Pest Management Alliance consists of the British Pest Control Association, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the National Pest Technicians
Association and the UK Pest Controllers Organisation
12

http://www.cieh.org/uploadedFiles/Core/Policy/Environmental_protection/Pest_management/NPAP/COP_Glue_Boards.pdf

All polling figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,044 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 16th and 17th June
2015. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
3

4

3 ibid5

Review of 2014, Science Group, RSPCA

3

PHOTO BY BRIGHTON AND HOVE COUNCIL

INTRODUCTION
It could be said that over the course oftime, no other animals have been despised,and demonised, as much as rats and mice.
These sentient, intelligent and intrepid little
creatures are feared, reviled, persecuted andexterminated in unquantifiable numbers.
Rats and mice live alongside us, thrive becauseof us, and survive in spite of our attempts toeradicate them. Through a combination of
intolerance and inconsistent ethics, they havecruelties inflicted upon them that most people
would deem unthinkable if applied to otherspecies, and from which other species areprotected legally.
In order to ‘control’ these animals, a selectionof products is available including repellent
sprays, ultrasonic devices, poisons and several
different types of traps, some lethal and someintended for live release. These trapping and/or killing tools are widely available from local
hardware and homeware stores, discountand corner shops, including some branchesof Londis and Costcutter, as well as in somegarden and DIY centres, certain chemists,
Post Office stores and even some pet shops.
Many online retailers, including Amazon, also
carry them, as well as specialist ‘pest control’

websites. Many major trade wholesalers also
supply them.
Across all categories there is potential for
products to be more or less humane. Glue
traps are not intrinsically lethal, but neither
are they in any way humane. The fact that the‘pest control’ industry has drafted guidelines
on how its technicians should use them, asa last resort, is indication of the gravity withwhich they should be treated.

What are glue traps?
Also known as glue boards or sticky boards,
they are a basic device consisting of a tray or
piece of card coated in an extremely strong,non-setting adhesive. The traps are designed
to catch and immobilise rats and mice, but
not to kill them. They are very cheap, typicallycosting between 99p to a couple of pounds
for two traps. Their packaging features images
that are deceptively cheerful – cartoon mice,for example – and even photos of the wrong
species: our researcher found one brand with aphotograph of a guinea pig on the packet andanother of a gerbil.

4“Please don’t use glue
traps. I naively didn’t
think what they would
entail when our next doorn eighbour had a rat andwhen we put a glue trap
a small mouse got caught
and I cried for hours
because it was so horrific.
It was dying slowly all its
limbs were broken, I gave
it some water and foodand my husband had toend its life because it was
obviously in so much pain.
It was one of the saddest
things I have seen. I still
feel dreadful and tell
everyone not to everconsider them.”- BambieO
mumsnet.com

PHOTO BY CLAUDIA TARRY/HSI

INHUMANE
The way in which the traps work is very simple:
they are laid on the floor with a tasty treatsuch as peanut butter or chocolate placed in
the middle to attract the rat or mouse, whowill scurry on to the trap and become attached
to it by the paws, part of the body, or the fullbody. The glue is so strong there is little hopeof escape, or at least escape without lifethreatening injury. HSI UK has studied a large
number of YouTube videos posted by membersof the public who have filmed rats and micecaught on glue traps and have made thefollowing observations from the footage:• Trapped animals will try to drag themselves
out of the glue and exhibit jerky
movements combined with laboured
breathing, indicating fear and suffering.

• They frequently end up collapsing, withlegs splayed or twisted.
• The more they struggle, the more
embedded they become and as they fightto free themselves, they may vocalize inpain and panic.
• Given the fragility of the rodent skeleton, it
is highly likely that in many instances
animals break and dislocate bones. Fur canalso be pulled out and skin torn.
• Animals also get the glue in their mouths
and noses, causing bleeding and likely
eventual suffocation, and animals with glue
in their eyes will likely experience pain andvision loss.

Internet discussion boards indicate that someanimals gnaw through their own limbs or rip
their feet off in a desperate attempt to escape.

5

Glue traps: the public user journey
A YouGov poll6 commissioned in June 2015 for
HSI UK showed that almost a quarter of the
population (23 per cent) has used, or would
consider using, rodent glue traps. They aresold widely in stores throughout the UK. In asnapshot survey, HSI UK called 50 randomly
chosen hardware and convenience stores
located across 10 towns and cities throughout
the UK and found that 46 per cent stock glue
traps. Extrapolating these indicative figures
nationally, we get a very broad indicationthat glue traps are sold in thousands of stores
across the UK.
The instructions on the back of glue trap
packets describe how and where the traps
should be put down, but give very brief, if any,
direction on what to do with animals who arecaught. This presents two significant welfare
problems:

Problem 1: Duration of suffering
Whilst some members of the public may beconcerned enough to check traps frequently, it
is safe to assume that others will not. Animals
left stuck to traps that go unchecked for hours,
or even days, face extreme suffering, both
psychological and physical, and the likelihoodof a slow, agonising death. This typically comesfrom a combination of shock, starvation,
dehydration and exhaustion7. One laboratory

experiment looking into how long it tookrodents caught on glue traps to die found that85 per cent of mice were still alive a day later.8

Problem 2: Humaneness of death
Many people, it seems, do not realise thatthe glue trap is not designed to kill its victim
outright so they are shocked to find a terrified
living rat or mouse attached to it. These
animals are then at the mercy of the person
who laid the trap, who may experience any
one of a range of reactions to the plight of arodent struggling for his or her life, including
fear, compassion, or indifference.
Of the brands on sale in high street storesin the UK, The Big Cheese, Glue Terminator
and Tomcat are the only ones that instruct
the purchaser to kill captured animals ‘quickly
and humanely’. However, neither offers
specific information on how to do this. Two
manufacturers, Expert Brand and Henco, tellpurchasers to throw away trapped mice.
The only specific instructions on how tokill rodents ‘humanely’ appear in the Pest
Management Alliance’s Code of Best Practice,which states it should be done by: ‘Placing theglue board in a clear plastic bag and dealing
the rodent a sharp blow to the head with ablunt instrument.’

6

3 ibid7

Mason, G. & Littin, K. E. 2003 The Humaneness Of Rodent Pest Control Animal Welfare 12, 1–37.

“A lot of people haveno clue about the glue
traps. They assume theysell them, so they must
be ok. I only heard after
a friend used one only tocome back to it to findnothing but feet. It broke
her heart.”- ShellBeau
mumsnet.com“{My husband} foundthree mice last winterstuck to one and told me
never ever again to use it.
He said they had started
to bite their legs off to get
free.”- dizzydo, mumsnet.com“Um, after they get stuck
you will know about it
since there is a lot of
squealing... We live in the
country and it was the
middle of the night whenit got caught on the glue
so we put it outside anda fox or cat must have
got him because he had
been mostly eaten by themorning.”- PrincessGoodLife
mumsnet.com

Frantz, S. C. & Padula, C. M. (Ed. by D. E. Kaukeinen), 1983. A laboratory Test Method for Evaluating The Efficacy of Glueboards for Trapping House Mice.
Vertebrate Pest Control and Management Materials: Fourth Symposium: 209–225.
8

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PHOTO BY PAUL REEVES PHOTOGRAPHY

But it is extremely unlikely that ordinary
members of the public will have read up on
or been instructed in humane despatch of atrapped animal. Even if they choose this courseof action by themselves, killing an animal witha blow to the head requires a firm resolve andnot being frightened or squeamish.

their use of glue traps reveal accounts of traps
with live animals attached being thrown into
fires11.

We believe it likely that many people will findthemselves unable, or fail, to kill rats andmice stuck to glue traps in a quick and cleanmanner, and a considerable body of anecdotal
evidence from glue trap users posting on theinternet supports this.

• Expert Catch large glue traps:‘Discard mouse with trap.’

Some forum users appear to believe thatdrowning is one of the ‘kindest’ ways of killing
an animal stuck to a glue trap. However, one
study found that the average time it takes a
rat to drown is 2.6 minutes9. A paper looking
into the humaneness of various pest control
methods produced by respected body the
Universities Federation for Animal Welfare(UFAW), Guiding Principles in the Humane
Control of Rats and Mice10, concluded‘drowning is not a humane method andshould be avoided’.

Instructions on packaging fromglue traps found for sale in UK
stores:• Expert Catch mouse & rat glue: ‘Throw
away the trapped mouse, the trap can bereused.’• Glue Terminator mouse glue traps:‘Despatch [sic] captured mice quickly andhumanely.’• Henco: ‘Once the mouse is trapped,
dispose of it.’
• The Big Cheese: ‘Dispatch captured
rodents quickly and humanely.’“When the animal steps
onto the glue board they
get stuck and cannot pull
free. They usually will
not quit, however, andmany times will pull aleg, tail or section of the
body apart in an effort
to escape. This can cause
a mess so be careful to
use these devices where
young children are not
likely to stumble uponsuch a mess. The author
has encountered several
mice and rats caught onthese traps which werescreaming! It was loud,almost humanlike.”12- Dr Richard Kaae,
Professor of Pest
Management,
Cal Poly Pomona• Tomcat: ‘Dispatch captured mice quickly
and humanely.’

There are also, unfortunately, plenty of
uncompassionate individuals who appear totake pleasure from their victim’s suffering. For
example, forum posts in which people discuss
9

Yamamoto, K., Yamamoto, Y. & Kikuchi, H, 1983. The effects of drowning media on the lung water content: an experimental study on rats. International Journalof Legal Medicine, 90: 1-6.

10

‘Guiding principles in the Humane Control of Rats and Mice’, Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, 2008.

11

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/10766971/ns/us_news-weird_news/t/mouse-roared-flames-or-did-it/

12

Dr. Richard Kaae, 2010. Commensal Rodents-Rats and Mice. Expert Witness – Entomology. <http://insectexpertphd.com/rats.aspx>

7

PHOTO BY JEAN-JACQUES BOUGEOTGLUE TRAPS AND CURRENT UK LAW
The Wild Mammals (Protection) Act (1996)13 refers toanimals ‘taken in the course of pest control activity’ andstates that if a person kills such an animal, he/she shallnot be guilty of an offence providing the killing is ‘in areasonably swift and humane manner’.

after he drowned a squirrel in a water butt, and was
subsequently convicted, receiving a six-month suspended
sentence and a fine of £1,54716.
The Pests Act (1954)17 focuses predominantly on rabbits
and the approval of spring traps for larger ‘pests’. The Act’s
subsequent qualification under the Small Ground Vermin
Traps Order (1958)18 exempts the need for government
approval for break-back traps for ‘small ground vermin’and spring traps for moles in their runs. No provisions orapproval requirements are made for any type of adhesivebased traps.

Furthermore, an animal is protected under the Animal
Welfare Act (2006)14 if s/he is ‘under the control of man
whether on a permanent or temporary basis’. Animals stuck
to glue traps are, therefore, protected. This means that theperson who put the trap down is responsible for acting in away so as to prevent the animal from unnecessary suffering.
Failure to do so may put them at risk of committing an
offence under Section 4 of the Act15, which states:

Several pieces of wildlife legislation, including thePests Act (1954), have been under review by the Law
Commission, which was tasked in 2011 by the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with ‘putting
together a modern, consistent and simple to understandregulatory framework.’ The department recognized that‘it is not always clear what levels of protection apply toindividual species - by reforming the legislative framework
we are seeking to improve clarity and consistency.’19 The
Commission’s review is scheduled for publication in late2015, with the possibility of a new Wildlife Bill being put
before Parliament in 2016.

(1) A person commits an offence if:		 (a) an act of his, or a failure of his to act, causes an			 animal to suffer,		 (b) he knew, or ought reasonably to have known,
			 that the act, or failure to act, would have that			 effect or be likely to do so,		 (c) the animal is a protected animal, and		 (d) the suffering is unnecessary.
In 2010, a legal precedent was set when Raymond Elliot
was prosecuted by the RSPCA. He was charged under the
Animal Welfare Act with causing unnecessary suffering
13‘Wild Mammals (Protection) Act’, 1996, UK Legislation (1996)

14‘Animal Welfare Act 2006’, UK Legislation (2006), Cht45 S2.

15‘Animal Welfare Act 2006’, UK Legislation (2006). ch45 S4(1a).

16Louise Gray, ‘Hundreds face fines for killing squirrels’, Telegraph, 19 July 2010

17

‘Pests Act 1954’, UK legislation (1954)

18‘The Small Ground Vermin Traps Order 1958’, UK legislation (1958)

19

Defra Wildlife Law consultation, 2012 (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/wildlife-law)

8

UK PUBLIC USE OF AND ATTITUDESTO GLUE TRAPS
The commonplace nationwide sale, andwillingness of almost a quarter of the UK
population to use glue traps, indicates thatthey are a widely used product on the market.
But are people aware of the legal implicationsof mis-use of the traps? Our opinion poll
results suggest not. Just over half of the
respondents said either they would not knowwhat to do with a trapped animal or would
recommend an action that risked committing
an offence under the Animal Welfare Act(2006). This included nine per cent who
suggested drowning. Only twenty per centwould recommend killing the animal by themethod recommended by the pest control
industry’s Code of Best Practice: hitting him/herwith a heavy object such as a brick or hammer.
Other options chosen by members of the
public, including leaving the animal to die on
the trap from starvation, injury or dehydration,or throwing the trap away with the live animal
still attached, are actions that would clearly
constitute causing ‘unnecessary suffering’,and could therefore put the person at risk ofprosecution.
Just over one in five respondents said theywould recommend attempting to pull theanimal off the trap and release him/her awayfrom the house. In reality, however, due tothe strength of the glue it is very difficult toremove an animal from a trap without causing
further life-threatening stress, loss of limbs or
fur, and injury to the animal.

9PHOTO BY RSPCA PHOTO LIBRARY

PHOTO BY NEWSTEAM

INDISCRIMINATE & INDEFENSIBLE
A secondary issue of concern is the nonselective nature of glue traps. Any animal who
steps on to or brushes up against one will stick
to it. It is an offence under the Wildlife andCountryside Act (1981)20 to set glue boards
in a place where wild birds could be caught.
However, there are many recorded instances ofbirds getting stuck who have been fortunate
enough to be found by a member of the public
and taken to a vet or wildlife rescue. There arealso numerous online reports of cats becoming
adhered. On one occasion, the media reported
that a grass snake had been caught andwent on to die from the injuries sustained21.
It is wholly probable that this is the tip of theiceberg and that other incidences of nontarget animals getting stuck will have gone
undiscovered and undocumented.

Subsequent to EDM 1833 (2008-2009 session),
the Pest Management Alliance23 produced its
Code of Best Practice Humane Use Rodent
Glue Boards, in which it states:‘Although glue boards are not designed tophysically harm rodents, their use raises valid
concerns and they should only be sold to or usedby technicians who have been given adequate
training and are competent in the effective andhumane use of this technique… all other options
for rodent control must be considered before glueboards are used…The humane use of glue boards
is the legal responsibility of the pest controller andcannot be delegated to untrained people’.

“A very distressed lady
brought a poor little
Robin in to help get him
free from a glue trap. He
was well and truly stuck
fast, and this is often avery serious problem forus, as the feathers are
so severely damaged thebird must undergo a lotof treatments to remove
the glue. These traps area very inhumane way
to catch small rodents,
and a danger to otheranimals, too.”- Simon Cowell MBE,
Director, Wildlife Aid (asseen on TV’s WildlifeSOS)“This kitten has
suffered as a result of
the irresponsible andinhumane use of traps.
Like snares and most pest
control equipment, glue
traps are indiscriminate.
We are regularly alerted
to incidents of non-target
species being caught insnares and traps. Suchtraps are easily purchased
but as with all traps cancause suffering and pain
to animals.”- RSPCA Animal Welfare
Officer Boris Lasserre(Daily Mail 03/08/2010)

Political and industry support
for a ban
The sale and use of glue traps has long beena contentious issue and there is already both
political and industry support for a ban on theiruse by non-trained members of the public. In
2008, Sir Alan Meale, MP for Mansfield, tabled
EDM 183322 calling for a UK ban.
The pest control industry, represented in the
UK by the Pest Management Alliance, backed
the call for a ban on the sale of glue traps tothe public, but unsurprisingly sought to defend
its own use of them.
20

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, UK legislation (1981)

21

Emily Allen, ‘Robin Left for Dead and Almost Featherless \during Struggle to Escape Glue Trap for Rats…But Manages toSurvive’, Daily Mail, 19 July 201222

http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2008-09/1833

23

2 ibid10

“There are welfare
concerns with glueboard
traps…. Attitudes aboutanimal welfare continually
evolve, and it’s importantthat we keep pace withchanges in our society,as well as scientificknowledge, good practiceand available technology.
Pest control operators
must make every
reasonable effort to findhumane alternatives [toglue traps].”- Matthew Stone, Director
Animal and Animal
Products, New Zealand
Ministry for Primary
Industries 12/17/14

PHOTO BY ROB BOISVERT

Voluntary prohibition by retailers

International precedents

Several well-known hardware and DIY chains,
including Homebase and The Range, haveadopted policies against the sale of glue traps,
on grounds of poor welfare for the target
species. From telephone and face-to-faceresearch, we have found that several otherhigh street retailers, including 99p Stores,
Poundland, B&Q and Wyevale Garden Centres,
do not appear to stock them despite offering
a selection of other rodent-killing products,
however they did not respond to our requests
for official confirmation and a comment.

Several other countries have already acted toban the public sale and use of glue traps on
animal welfare grounds. In Ireland, they arebanned under the Wildlife Act, 197624, which
forbids the use of certain traps ‘except where
authorised in exceptional circumstances’. To
date, no authorisations have been granted andsince 2008 there have been eight prosecutions
for the illegal possession of glue traps.

24

Commencing January 1, 2015, New Zealandoutlawed the purchase and use of glue traps
by members of the public under the Animal
Welfare (Glueboard Traps) Order 2009. The
Australian state of Victoria has also regulated
their sale and use in the same way.

Wildlife Act 1976 (Approved Traps, Snares and Nets) Regulations, 2003.

11“I believe that manyretailers and membersof the public may be
unaware that to sell or topossess an unauthorised
trap is an offence underIrish law”, said theMinister. “My Department
is actively pursuing thesale of these illegal traps
and glues. Prosecutions
have been and will betaken where breaches ofthe law are detected.”- Mr Dick Roche, T.D.,
Minister for theEnvironment, Heritageand Local Government
03/04/06“We don’t market any ofthese as we deem them
to be entirely unsuitable
and inhumane for use byamateurs.”- Email from
Matthew Lambourne,
Homebase, 13/07/2015“It is obvious that theseproducts [glue traps] areinhumane for the Rat/ Mouse (sic) and notparticularly desirable formost consumers. As abuyer I made an instantdecision not to stock
these products…”- Email from Simon
McDaniel, Garden Buyer,
The Range, 15/7/2015

PHOTO BY FEGGY ART FOTERHUMANE, NON-LETHAL SOLUTIONS
The basic need to find sustenance and shelter
drives rats and mice into close proximity withhuman beings. Undeniably, their presence canat times cause problems. Whilst it is unrealistic
to expect that people universally are goingto warmly welcome rodents or other socalled ‘pests’ such as moles into their homeor garden, the default solution should not be
controls that cause suffering or death. Instead,
HSI UK advocates the adoption of humane
methods of deterrence and environmentallysound approaches to modifying and managing
the habitat conditions that sustain problematicanimal populations.
In addition to causing loss of life and suffering,lethal methods of control are also treating
the symptom rather than the cause and cantherefore be a futile endeavour. Unless theconditions that encouraged the animals to takeup residence in the first place are addressed,
it is highly likely that, over time, others will
simply move into the vacated territory.

Deterrence and eviction
Mice like to live indoors and can enter a homeby squeezing through very small spaces, forexample air bricks/vents, gaps around gas
and water pipes, drain pipes, and cable holes.
Rats prefer to be outside, although they too
will sometimes come indoors if food is readily
available. The crumbs in our kitchen, meat andkibble that we leave out for our companion
animals, left-overs we throw way in our
rubbish and compost bins, and the tasty treats
we put out for hedgehogs, foxes and birds allprovide rats and mice with a tempting buffet.
The key to co-existing with these canny little
creatures is to remove their food source andfollow the adage that prevention is better thancure. If they do set up home inside your houseor garden there are steps that can be taken toencourage them to relocate:• Keep kitchens clean and all food in sealed
glass or metal containers.
• Rodents have been found to avoid thesmell of peppermint, spearmint or
eucalyptus. Soak cotton wool balls in oneof these oils and leave along work surfaces,
underneath units and by entry points.
• Grow mint, spearmint and/or citronella
plants in the garden.
• Stop feeding wild birds until the rats ormice have gone.
• If planning to resume bird feeding, do not
throw food on the ground, put it in feeders
with trays underneath. Put food out little
and often and do not leave it out
overnight.
• Use ‘mouse-mesh’ to cover air-vents andair-bricks and wire/copper wool, or rapidly
hardening sealer to block gaps aroundpipes in outside walls. Put draught
excluders under outside doors to ensurethat gaps are no more than 5mm.
• Make your garden less hospitable bykeeping grass short, thinning out shrubs,
and removing cover such as piles of woodand old junk.
• Disrupt their habitat by digging up rat runs
and putting obstacles such as rocks andleaves in entrance/exit points (without
blocking them up completely).
• Non-toxic animal-repelling products fromgarden centres and DIY shops can be
scattered or sprayed around sheds (but not
if you have a cat or dot). Rags soaked inthem can be left in the corner of basements
and lofts.

While some users report success, ultrasonicplug-in devices are not widely regarded asreliable.
12PHOTO BY ALEX GALLARDO/THE HSUS

LIVE CAPTURE & RELEASE
Live capture and release should only beconsidered a last resort. Unfortunately, unlessmice leave of their own volition, even withthe best of intentions it is very difficult todeal with them in a way that doesn’t involvesome risk for them or their offspring. Catching
animals and releasing them away from thehome should only be attempted if they havenot been persuaded to leave of their own
accord. Whilst it is undoubtedly preferable to aslow and certain death from poisoning, if they
have been inside for generations there is no
guarantee that indoor mice will survive outside
in unfamiliar territory, and their chances will
be reduced further by cold weather. They may
also leave behind young, dependent animals
in the nest, who will perish. If a live trap isused, it must be checked first thing in themorning, last thing at night and at least once
more during the day, and the animal must be
released as soon as possible.
After animals have been evicted or captured
and released, it is vital that they are prevented
from re-entering. Determining points of entry
from outside to in is especially important.

We provide species-specific information
on how to co-exist with a range of wild
animals at humanesociety.org/animals/
wild_neighbors/.

13

PHOTO BY ALEX GALLARDO/THE HSUSA NOTE ON LETHAL CONTROLS(OTHER THAN GLUE TRAPS)
The default option for dealing with rodents
tends to be the use of traps and poisons,however these are neither humane nor
effective in the long-term. Without a diligent
effort to tackle the cause of the problem andprevent the recurrence of it through habitat
modification, sanitation, and exclusion, there
can be no permanent solution to mouse andrat infestations. Of the two main types of lethal
methods available for public purchase and use– poisons and snap traps – evidence suggeststhat the traditional snap trap has the potential
to be the least inhumane.

Poisons - Second Generation Anti-coagulant
Rodenticides (SGARs) - cause unacceptably
slow and painful deaths lasting between 3-14
days, during which the animals suffer sickness,paralysis, and pain from internal bleeding.
These highly toxic biocides also carry a risk of
secondary poisoning to wildlife – foxes, owls
and hawks – that eat poisoned mice and rats;
the European Parliament has even considered aban on their use27.

However, HSI UK is concerned that, since thecurrent law exempts break-back traps (AKA‘snap-traps’) for mice and rats, and all mole
traps, from being tested and approved by the
UK government’s Animal and Plant Health
Authority (APHA)25, there are a range of poorly
designed and made snap traps currently forsale on the UK market26. For this reason weare also calling on the Government to properly
regulate all traps for mice, rats and moles, andremove from the market all of those which failto properly protect animal welfare.

25

Currently, under the Pests Act, 1954 (and subsequent qualification by the Small Ground Vermin Traps Order, 1958), break-back traps for ‘small ground vermin’ andspring traps for moles in their runs, are exempted from approval requirement.

26

Baker, S. E., Ellwood, S.A., Tagarielli, V.L., McDonald, D.W., 2012. Mechanical performance of rat, mouse and mole spring traps and possible implications for
welfare performance. PLoS ONE 7(6): e39334

27

http://www.farminguk.com/News/MEP-hails-victory-on-rat-poisons_18472.html

14PHOTO BY WILDCAT78

CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONSGlue traps are inhumane, indiscriminate, andindefensible. Rats and mice may never be themost popular of creatures, but even thosepeople who feel resolutely negatively towards
them should agree that no sentient animal– cat, dog, rabbit, rat or mouse – should beknowingly subjected to fear, suffering and aprolonged and agonising death. 68 per centof British people either agree or strongly agree
that they should be banned, and only nine percent disagree that a ban should be enacted.

Recommendations for action by the
UK government:
1. Legislate immediately to prohibit thepurchase and use of glue traps by membersof the public.
2. Regulate the use of glue traps byprofessional pest controllers (to include
permissibility in only certain specified
circumstances, and mandatory checking
intervals), and require industry reporting on
their use.
28

3. Critically examine existing deficiencies andinconsistencies in UK laws relating to thewider welfare management of small
mammals termed ‘pests’. Specifically, on theissue of traps, we encourage the government
to:a. change the law to require that all		vertebrate traps require welfare		approval by the Animal and Plant
		
Health Authority, drawing to the		greatest extent possible on existing		
research, and scenario and simulation
		 modeling;b. require that approval of all traps		(lethal and live capture) is accompanied		by, and conditional on adherence		to, directions on: species and trap		
specific inspection intervals; mandatory		training and /or professional
		
qualification requirements for users		and; the provision of appropriate food		and water in the case of live-capture		 traps.

7 ibid

15“Sticky boards… seemto have the same
major welfare costs asleghold traps: instantand prolonged distressand trauma, followed
by dehydration, hunger
and sometimes selfmutilation when animals
are held trapped for long
periods.”28

PHOTO BY DAVID ILLIG

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