Glue Board Traps

GLUE BOARD TRAPS

by Lewis C. & Janet S. Miller
Tucson Wildlife Rehabilitation Council

The current craze for fast, convenient, effective control of pests, such as mice. scorpions, roaches. etc., is a device called a GLUE BOARD. This is a flat piece of cardboard with one side covered with a very powerful glue. No bait is required, you just place this GLUE BOARD in an area used by the pest you are after. The main problem with them is they catch any thing that comes across them.

We, as Wildlife Rehabbers, think they should not be used in outdoor areas. If used outdoors, they must be enclosed with 1" chicken wire mesh to keep the birds from getting stuck. We have had two Screech owls that went after the trapped mice and got caught. It was a two week session to get the birds cleaned and back to the wild. Three Cactus wrens also showed up on GLUE TRAPS. One of the wrens was released; the other two died.

The GLUE TRAP does not kill its prey. The caught creature dies of exhaustion fighting to get loose. It is a cruel and inhumane way to get rid of pests around your house.

Trapped insects arouse the interest of insect eating birds; trapped mice attract hawks and owls. The larger hawks and owls can carry off the GLUE BOARD to a nest causing problems to the young. Glue on a bird's feathers eliminates the bird's ability to regulate body temperature. Glue on a bird's wing reduces, or eliminates, the bird's ability to fly.

PLEASE DON'T USE GLUE TRAPS.

It is a terrible way for any creature to die. They don't discriminate. You can kill what you didn't intend to kill.