I do not like the concept of glue traps. One of the cruelest methods of killing animals that exists today is the glue trap. These devices consist of pieces of cardboard or plastic coated with a sticky adhesive designed to ensnare any small animal that wanders across or lands on its surface.

Trapped rodents and other animals suffer immeasurably during the days that it takes for them to die. Glue traps rip patches of skin, fur, and feathers off the animals’ bodies as they struggle to escape. Some animals get their faces stuck in the glue and suffocate, which can take hours. And the screaming of ensnared rodents is extremely upsetting to people who are then unsure of how to “dispose” of these living creatures. Glue-trap manufacturers generally direct consumers to throw animals in the trash along with the trap, leaving the victims to suffer for days until they finally die of starvation, dehydration or stress — a cruel fate.

Sure they catch scorpions, spiders, cockroaches and such, but that’s not all they catch!

Glue traps are completely indiscriminate. We get calls on a regular basis from individuals who have discovered birds, lizards, snakes, bats, ground squirrels, rabbits and even their own pets hopelessly stuck to these sticky boards.

A couple of weeks ago we rescued a young Gila Monster that had been caught in a glue trap. No telling how long it had been stuck there. But after we released it from the glue it was very happy to get a drink and a meal of eggs.

If you feel a need to use glue traps, please put them under a board or rock so that birds cannot get caught in them.

If you have a question or need help, call Jim Cloer 818-3545 (jecloer@aol.com) or Jerry Schudda 744-4274.


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