Scottish Animal Welfare Commission: report on the use of rodent glue traps in Scotland

Definition of glue traps

Glue traps, sometimes referred to as sticky boards or glue boards, are used to control unwanted species, typically rats or mice. The traps are generally used indoors, and normally consist of a piece of cardboard, plastic or thin wood covered with a very strong, non-setting adhesive. They may either be flat, or folded to form a tunnel, and then positioned in places that rodents are believed to frequent (such as a mouse running along a wall). When the animal touches the glue, it becomes stuck and when it attempts to free itself more of its limbs and body will become stuck. The card can then be retrieved and the animal dispatched. A similar technique (bird lime) was formerly used for trapping birds but is now prohibited under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA).