An Analysis of Inhumane Glue Traps for Rats

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As unwanted, disturbing and destructive as rats can be, they are living things too and should be treated as such. It is important – whatever way you decide to deal with them – to be humane and show some consideration for how they fare and the severity of pain they will go through before dying or getting relocated. If you want to kill rats in a more effective manner than with glueboards, read How to kill a rat which advocates the use of snap traps, and never poison or glue board traps.



There are several trap types used for controlling rat infestations and the Glue trap is one of them. Others include snap traps, electric traps and cage traps. Even though the use of glue traps or adhesive traps, is very effective in the trapping and controlling of rats, it is not encouraged due to its inhumane mechanism of dealing with them rodents.

An analysis of how this type of trap works shows that it makes use of a strong adhesive that is spread on some thick paper, board or vinyl, onto which the rats get glued to. The adhesive is the main mechanism of trapping rats here and it must be strong enough to hold the rat down, even when it struggles to set itself free. The adhesive is often mixed with sweet smelling foods or substances to attract the rats. The trap may also be baited with fruits, seeds, leaves, small invertebrates and others. Read more about live traps here.

The advantage of using glue traps include – they are quite affordable and readily available as they can be found in most animals control stores nationwide. Setting it up for use is also easy and safe because there is little or nothing to do except open it and lay it down at the targeted location. They are also safe to be used around children and pets.

Why are glue traps inhumane?
Glue traps are inhumane all right, and here’s why – a rat that gets glued to it will not die instantly and may endure severe pain as it struggles to free itself. Eventually, if it is not freed on time by the person who set the trap, it would die from injury, hunger, or dehydration.

In the event that it gets set free, it is likely to have sustained enough injury that will eventually kill it with lots of pain accompanying it.

Another problem with glue traps is that the user must have learned just how to set the trapped rat free or else he stands at risk of injury to himself or the rat during that process.

In conclusion, glue traps should be avoided and other options explored for the removal of rats from a property.

Go back to the Rat Removal page, or for more instructions read my How to get rid of rats guide, or learn specifically about How to remove rats in the attic and Rat Trapping Legalities: What You Should Know.

I'm contacting you guys about my mice problem and I'm assuming the worst that its mice and just one mouse. im completely at a loss of what to do. i live in the basement in my parent's house and am locked up in my room basically terrified of that tiny mouse who's trying to get in my room every night! (fortunately i covered up every hole w/ expanding foam) and it even bit me once on my foot while i was cutting up some kale in the kitchen...i don't know what to do, I've tried everything i think, but those mice are truly diabolical geniuses, smarter than me and determined to stay alive. i don't feel bad for killing them anymore

Read about Humane Rat Traps and Do Light or Sound Machines Work to Get Rid of Rats?

i killed one mouse w/ a victor trap and i did hear another trap snap the next day but no dead mouse so the mouse set it off and now wisely stays away... they ignore them as they now know that they are killing machines. i even bought special bait instead of peanut butter...nope, ignored it totally. d-con poison w/ peanut butter? untouched...glue traps? (which i hate to put out but i cant deal w/ this situation anymore)...untouched. i now have 2 "bucket" traps i saw on youtube, 2 different variations...untouched! do they not smell the food? i even tried to fumigate the basement and between the cardboard ceilings...nope still there. what else? i even had a humane trap...again untouched!

so as I'm typing this i hear them gnawing on the cardboard...can they survive on this? and for how long? what is it eating? i have no food downstairs at all except the bait and poison, i cant bear to be down there listening to them scurrying, it terrifies me and I'm only there to sleep. there are so many holes in the cardboard and since they don't want to eat any bait i put for them, i guess ill wait for them to die...how long can they survive? do they actually get nourishment from this? if i had money and if it was my house i would hire you to go inside the walls and kill them but i cant. please do you know anything about this? what more can i do?

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