Animals caught in glue traps endure excruciating pain before dying. Advocates are now passing laws to ban their use.
Glue Traps Cause Intense Suffering
Glue traps are plastic trays covered in an adhesive that traps small animals like mice and rats. Animals caught on glue traps suffer severely for days before dying. The glue rips off their skin and feathers leaving them to bleed, starve, or suffocate to death. Some animals will break their bones or even chew through their own limbs while trying to escape.
While mice and rats are often the intended target of glue traps, traps don’t discriminate. Any small animal unlucky enough to encounter a glue trap can be harmed and killed. Wild animals like birds, bats, squirrels, lizards, and snakes are routinely trapped by glue traps. According to the WILD-ONe database, 180 wild animal species have been ensnared by glue traps and taken to animal hospitals and wildlife centers for care.
Bad for Animals, Dangerous for Public Health
Glue traps aren’t only cruel, they’re also dangerous. Ironically, glue traps can increase disease transmission. The CDC website warns,
“DO NOT USE glue traps and live traps. These traps can scare the rodents causing them to urinate, which can increase your chance of getting sick.”
Glue traps were intended to reduce the presence of rats or mice. But they’re not effective—mitigation strategies like keeping trash contained and filling holes in walls are much more successful at keeping rats and mice out of homes and businesses.
Advocates Are Passing Laws Banning Glue Traps
In 2023, West Hollywood became the first city to ban the sale and use of glue traps. Ojai, California followed suit in March 2024. New Zealand, England, Iceland, and Ireland have also banned glue traps. In the US, Representative Ted Lieu introduced the Glue Trap Prohibition Act in January 2024 which would ban the use and possession of glue traps nationally. A bill in New York to ban glue traps is also pending.
Interested in protecting animals in your community? Consider passing a ban on the retail sale of animals by using our toolkit. Want to take on glue traps instead? While our toolkit focuses on pet stores, it provides helpful advice relevant to working with legislators to pass laws protecting animals.