After confirming that all glue traps had been removed from the place where it was found and receiving assurances that no further glue traps would be installed, we brought the bird home yesterday. See how it flies freely in the video below. These traps are not a long-term solution to control unwanted guests. When rodents are killed, survivors and newcomers multiply faster, resulting in increased populations! And they don`t address the root cause of the problem: if no holes are plugged and attractants aren`t removed, more animals will simply move to take the place of those who have been killed. Once this western brush jay was at the Wildlife Hospital, WildCare medical staff conducted a visual examination of the bird`s condition and quickly decided it needed to be sedated to be removed from the glue trap. If the bird was safely stunned, they could begin to remove it from the horrible sticky substance. Retired lawyer Sandra Schnurr, who is part of the Canadian animal rights group, said she sent personalized letters to each of the stores about the traps but received no response. When VHS launched its campaign against Canadian Tire, Rona, Home Depot and Walmart in 2018, it received only one response from Rona, who noted that they « offer a number of alternatives to glue traps, but will continue to sell the product. » Our frontline rescuers and hospital staff are sick from the horrific injuries the animals suffer as they struggle to break free. Mice and rats are the main victims, but other animals such as snakes, robins, owls and even kittens and cats are maimed or fatally injured because of these terrible traps. Dr. Watson points out that humane alternatives are available, adding that « glue traps represent a cruel and archaic approach to rodent control and have no place in an advanced society concerned with animal welfare. » Glue traps cause a slow and incredibly painful death, and there is no way to prevent other types of animals from being caught by them, so I am pleased that today we can support MP Jane Stevenson`s important bill. We will do everything in our power to help him pass this new legislation. It is also a criminal offence to find and not disable a trap, unless there is reason to believe that the trap was installed under a glue trap licence.
In July 2022, Alison Hermance of WildCare gave a talk on the horrors of glue traps at the San Francisco Commission on Animal Control and Welfare (soon to be renamed the Animal Commission). Glue traps or adhesive panels are small boards or trays covered with a strong adhesive substance used to catch « pests » and are very problematic for a number of reasons. They have been banned in Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and much of Australia, and many companies in Massachusetts and across the country have stopped using or selling glue traps. You can make a difference by personally avoiding the use of glue traps and urging those you know to do the same. If you live in a multi-unit complex, ask the building manager to take an integrated pest management approach and never use glue traps. You can also contact your state representative to express support for state bills such as H. 1469, a law banning glue-based rodent traps. And if you find an animal stuck on a sticky board, don`t try to remove it yourself. Instead, take them to the nearest licensed wildlife rehabilitator. It is very difficult for untrained people to free an animal from an adhesive panel without running the risk of causing further injury or injury themselves.
Even if an animal appears unharmed, it could be injured in a way that is not immediately visible, or it could need treatment for extreme dehydration or exhaustion. Four Indian states – Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Telangana – have joined England, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, much of Australia and hundreds of other entities that have banned glue traps! This decision will help animals – including mice, squirrels, birds and others – who can endure a slow and excruciating death after being trapped in these inhumane devices. If you have exhausted all of the above efforts and decide as a last resort that lethal rodent control is necessary, please use a rat zapper or pressure trap (but only for indoor use). Despite their potential to cause persistent and extreme animal suffering, glue traps are currently sold to the public in construction and family stores, as well as online, for just 99 pence. Traps also pose a serious risk to other species, with many reports of animals being caught each year – including protected and endangered species such as hedgehogs, wild birds and bats, and even domestic cats – and often suffering fatal injuries.