Cute critters such as field mice, sparrows and other birds will breathe a sigh of relief if a ban on glue traps in New York State goes into law.
Brooklyn state Sen. Jabari Brisport introduced the proposed legislation, which is co-sponsored by Manhattan state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Brooklyn state Sen. Julia Salazar. If put into law, the ban would prohibit the production, sale and use of adhesive-based rodent traps, which many people say is a cruel and inhumane way to exterminate household pests such as mice.
Many New Yorkers use glue traps as a method of pest control. Some also place glue traps outside, unintentionally harming, injuring and often killing urban wildlife such as sparrows and woodpeckers, wildlife experts say.
As stated in the proposed bill, glue traps do not instantly kill the animal; rather, they slowly die over the course of several days due to starvation, dehydration and exhaustion.
“Trapped animals instinctively panic once they get stuck and their fur, skin, feathers, faces and other body parts are often torn away,” a spokesperson for Brisport’s office said. “Over the course of hours, often days, they dislocate joints, break bones and even chew off their own limbs desperately trying to escape before dying from a combination of blood loss, shock, exposure, suffocation, starvation and thirst.”
The bill is currently in the state Senate Consumer Protection Committee and has a way to go before being delivered to the governor for consideration.
How a ban on glue traps can help urban wildlife
Mice, rats and bugs are not the only critters that wind up trapped in the glue.
Amanda Lullo, a wildlife rescuer in New York City, said it has become common for well-intentioned people to stick glue traps onto trees throughout the city in an attempt to catch invasive spotted lanternflies. Unfortunately, the traps have also been ensnaring birds, pulling off their skin and feathers and turning them into unintended targets known as bycatch.
“For a while, people were wrapping trees in glue traps,” Lullo said. “The amount of stuck birds we received was a lot. It is absolutely crazy.”
According to Audubon Magazine, using glue traps to catch lantern flies has become increasingly popular. But sadly, the traps are also catching birds, small mammals and many other ecologically important species.
Using rat poison is also a no-no, according to Lullo. Not only is it inhumane because it causes internal bleeding that leads to the animal’s death, it can also be lethal to family pets like cats and dogs who are exposed to the toxin.
The threat to humans
Another justification for the proposed state bill is the threat glue traps pose to humans, Brisport’s spokesperson said.
“Glue traps are both dangerous for human health and intensely cruel to animals,” she said. “Panicked animals tearing themselves apart, biting and defecting for hours as they try to escape is a recipe for spreading disease.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, glue traps can scare a rodent so much that they urinate, which could potentially expose humans to diseases.
Other ways of getting rid of mice
Lullo understands that mice and similar pests are uninvited and unwelcome guests into most homes. But she recommends using live traps over glue or poison traps, as they are more humane.
“There are humane traps you can make out of a bucket. The mice go in and can’t get out,” Lullo explained. “Then you drive a mile or so away and dump them in the woods. Make a day of it, go get lunch.”
She also stresses prevention. Although New Yorkers can never be guaranteed a pest-free home, there are ways to at least help prevent mice from coming inside.
Sound boxes that emit ultrasonic waves that simply—but greatly—annoy an animal can also help drive it out of a house, Lullo said.
New Yorkers can also a hint from the cartoon “Tom & Jerry,” and adopt a cat. Felines are natural predators to mice, so having a cat or two is a great, natural way to prevent a mouse infestation, Lullo added.
The proposed ban on glue traps: What New Yorkers and others are saying
Not everyone would support ban on glue traps. Conversely, not everyone who would support it is an animal lover. Most people say they just do not want to see an animal suffer.
“Nobody likes mice in their house,” James Bostwick, a former New Yorker, said. “But glue traps are cruel. If you need to eliminate pests, the faster the method, the better.”
Staten Islander Timothy Somma agrees.
“They’re very cruel,” he said. “I would never use them. When I had mice I used the catch and release traps.”
Jenny, a dog lover from Michigan, called herself “a terrible person” for not only using glue traps, but preferring them.
“I’ve used glue traps and actually prefer them,” she said. “Live traps simply don’t work, and snap traps don’t always kill. I’ve found one crawling away in a snap trap.”
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