Glue Traps and the Law
Glue traps, sometimes referred to as sticky boards or glue boards, are used to trap mice or rats. Non-drying glue is placed on a board and as animals walk across them they are trapped and unable to escape, their fur or limbs becoming increasingly stuck to the glue as they try to wriggle free.
Countries across the UK have increasingly banned them on animal welfare grounds.
Wales passed the Agriculture (Wales) Bill in 2023, making Wales the first UK nation to introduce a full ban on glue traps.
The Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill passed into law in March 2024 and included a ban on the purchase and use of glue traps.
In England the Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 gave users and suppliers of glue traps two years in which to finish off their existing stock and move to alternative methods of rodent control. From 31 July 2024 it will be against the law in England to use glue traps to catch rodents, unless an operator has a licence issued by Natural England.
Glue traps are being banned across the UK because they are cruel (animals suffer for long periods before dying), they are ineffective in the long term (other rodents move into vacated territories), they are indiscriminate when it comes to the animals being caught, and there are far better and far more humane ways to either relocate or remove unwanted rodents.
Glue traps don’t actually kill the animals they catch, which leads to clear cruelty issues. Nothing more than a glue-covered board, they don’t have springs or bars to kill the trapped animal quickly. Instead, animals trapped on them starve, dehydrate or suffocate to death – often after many days of suffering.
In some brands of glue trap intended for home use, the instructions actually recommend that the boards are thrown into a rubbish bin while the rodent is still alive because some householders will be too squeamish to kill them outright.
The Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 lays out the offences relating to glue traps in England. Note that under this legislation it is an offence not only to use a glue trap but a person commits an offence if they find a glue trap in use and doesn’t take steps to ensure that the glue trap no longer poses a risk.
(1) A person who sets a glue trap in England for the purpose of catching a rodent commits an offence.
(2) A person who sets a glue trap in England in a manner which gives rise to a risk that a rodent will become caught in the glue trap commits an offence.
(3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply if the glue trap is set under, and in accordance with the terms of, a glue trap licence.
(4) A person who knowingly causes or permits an offence to be committed under subsection (1) or (2) commits an offence.
(5) A person commits an offence if the person—
(a) finds a glue trap in England that has been set in a manner which gives rise to a risk that a rodent will become caught in the glue trap, and
(b) without reasonable excuse, fails to ensure that the glue trap no longer gives rise to such a risk.
(6) If the person reasonably believes that the glue trap was set under, and in accordance with the terms of, a glue trap licence, the person has a reasonable excuse for the purposes of subsection (5)(b).
(7) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1), (2) or (4) is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 51 weeks or a fine (or both).
(8) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (5) is liable on summary conviction to a fine.
(9) In relation to an offence committed before section 281(5) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 comes into force, the reference in subsection (7) to 51 weeks is to be read as a reference to six months.
(10) The court by which a person is convicted of an offence under this section—
(a) must order the person to forfeit any glue trap in the person’s possession or control which has been used in the course of, or in connection with, that offence, and
(b) may order the person to forfeit any other glue trap in the person’s possession or control.
(11) In this Act “glue trap” means a trap which—
(a) is designed, or is capable of being used, to catch a rodent, and
(b) uses an adhesive substance as the means, or one of the means, of capture.
There are 2 types of glue trap licence:
- class licence (CL53) – register in advance to use when needed urgently, in very specific circumstances
- individual licence (A15) – apply for a single-use licence at the time it is needed, to deal with a particular problem at a particular site.
An operator must have completed both of the following courses to qualify to hold a glue trap licence:
- RSPH level 2 award in pest management
- Principles in the use of rodent glue traps under licence (Killgerm)
An operator will need to attach copies of their training certificates when they submit an application for a licence.
Individual licence (A15) conditions of use:
An individual licence is issued to deal with a problem at one site only, and within a given timeframe.
Individual licences are issued only in exceptional circumstances, for an indoor location, where public health or safety is at risk, and where other methods of rodent control have been tried but have not worked.
Exceptional circumstances are situations with a large-scale risk to public health and safety, such as:
- hospitals, where there are large numbers of vulnerable people
- food manufacturing facilities with regional distribution
- laboratories where contamination risk has nationally significant impact
Restaurants, pubs, takeaways and private houses are not likely to be considered exceptional circumstances.
Class licence (CL53) conditions of use:
A CL53 licence for an indoor location can only be used in the following specific and time-critical circumstances:
- inside aircraft
- in hospital surgery operating rooms (and related areas needed for maintaining equipment)
- inside critical infrastructure sites at imminent risk of fire or equipment failure
Critical infrastructure means sites that maintain public health, safety or security at a regional or national scale.
As the licence holder, an operator must:
- remain on site while the traps are in use, or use remote monitoring devices
- respond to a triggered trap within 2 hours
- check the traps every 6 hours
- have a named emergency pest controller to act as a back-up, who will remove traps if the operator is unable to
- report to Natural England every time the licence is used
Class licence registration lasts until 31 December of the year it is issued.
When in use, traps must be physically inspected at least every hour.
An operator must ensure the welfare of animals caught in a trap. If an animal suffers, an operator may have committed an offence under the Animal Welfare Act of causing unnecessary suffering.
Yes, glue traps do catch other animals besides rodents.
Glue traps are utterly indiscriminate, and depending on where they are placed may catch birds, squirrels, fox cubs, and even bats. There have been documented reports of stray kittens and other companion animals being trapped too.
Yes other countries have already banned glue traps.
Several European countries (including Ireland), Iceland, many Indian states, New Zealand, and parts of Australia have already outlawed glue traps. The Glue Trap Prohibition Act of 2024 is currently before the US Congress (West Hollywood became the first city in the US to ban glue traps in April 2023).
Perhaps in the very short term they are a quick – but very cruel – fix, but glue traps have never provided a long-term solution to ‘controlling’ mice or rats.
Glue traps may be cruelly effective at catching individuals (or even a few animals) but mice and rats are experts at seeking out food and suitable habitat. It is far more humane and far more effective to remove food sources and block access to buildings etc. Without doing that other animals will soon move into the vacated territory anyway.
Yes, glue traps can pose a risk to humans because trapped animals will produce urine and faeces while trapped and trying to escape which can contain pathogens.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned the public not to use glue traps because they increase people’s exposure to disease.
Wildlife crime is defined as any action which contravenes current legislation governing the protection of the UK’s wild flora and fauna, including species traded in the UK.
Note that wildlife crime does NOT include:
- Incidents involving domestic or companion animals such as dogs (other than dogs being used to hunt mammals), cats, rabbits, domesticated birds, etc.
- Wild animals that have been involved (killed or injured etc) in road traffic accidents.
Road accidents with wild animals do not need to be reported to the police, but note that domestic animals (as well as goats, horses, cattle, asses, mules, sheep and pigs) come within the remit of the Road Traffic Act.
If you have a road accident involving these animals you are required by law to report it to the police. If the wild animal is so badly injured in a road accident that there is no chance of recovery or the animal can not be returned to the wild then he or she may be euthanised, providing there is no appropriate long-term captive or semi-captive accommodation or when treatment would involve undue suffering or distress.
If we come across a wildlife crime scene or a dead bird/object that may be related to a wildlife crime every piece of information is – or might be – important, but it needs to be recorded properly and accurately for the authorities to have a chance of prosecuting an offender.
- Before we do anything else it is very important that we do NOT approach anyone we suspect of committing a crime – they may be violent and/or aggressive. This is especially true of badger baiters and hare coursers who are typically extremely violent. This must be a first priority!
What do we need to record?
- What we can see happening – what sort of crime is being committed
- Are any firearms involved, could we or the public be in danger?
- The exact location. Most smartphones have map apps or download the free What3Words app. If in open countryside look for obvious landmarks or fence lines, a tall or isolated tree, a wind turbine, any streams or brooks etc. Think about what information you might need to re find a remote location.
- It is important to record if at all possible whether we are on or near public land as this will determine the type of police response.
- Never put ourselves in danger, but can we see who is involved and what they look like (e.g. number of people, their gender(s), age(s), the clothing worn, tools being carried)? Can we hear them – if so what are they saying, are they using any names etc?
- If any dogs are involved how many are there, what colour are they, do we know what breed they are (even information like ‘terriers’ or ‘lurcher-types’ can be very useful).
- The make, colour and registration number of any vehicle (we can take photos of a car if we think it is being used or might be used to commit a crime). Does it have any obvious dents, branding or markings, spotlights, bullbars etc.
DO and DO NOT
- Do NOT disturb the scene by walking around unnecessarily – small pieces of evidence (cigarette ends, footprints, the marks left by a spade etc) may be lost or trampled into the mud or grass.
- If photographing an object do try to use eg a coin or a notebook/field guide for scale – providing it won’t disturb the crime scene.
- If in the countryside take wide angle photographs of any landmarks (a tree, a distinctive fenceline, a hill) that might help officers relocate the crime scene. DO NOT mark a site with eg a white plastic bag though. Being able to see a marker from a distance might sound like a good idea, but it will also alert an offender that someone has been at the site: they may go back and remove the evidence
- Do NOT move any items at the scene – the exception being if they are likely to disappear before the police arrive when we can collect them as evidence.
- Do NOT touch any dead birds or animals with bare hands. They may be poisoned baits or victims of poisoning. Many poisons (eg Carbofuran) are extremely dangerous in even very small amounts and can be absorbed through the skin.
- Do NOT do anything illegal ourselves – that might mean our evidence is not admissible.
If we see a wildlife crime taking place (or someone is at risk of getting injured or is being threatened) call 999 immediately.
They will want to know what we can see happening:
- What sort of crime is being committed
- Are any firearms involved
- Could we or the public be in danger
- Do we have photos or video footage which may be used as evidence
- Tell whoever you REPORT the crime to exactly what you have RECORDED as described in the section above.
To report a historic crime – that is, a crime that is no longer taking place – use 101 or a local organisation instead.
- If calling the police ask to speak to a Wildlife Crime Officer and make sure to get an Incident Report number.
- Please always follow any advice given and – if they are not available – insist that a Wildlife Crime Officer is made aware of your report.
- Our options are wider if the event is over, and it may be preferable to talk first to a charity or NGO to get advice. Crimestoppers (an independent charity) can be contacted in complete confidence on 0800 555 111
- When thinking about reporting a crime it’s worth noting that only the police have statutory powers to make an arrest. RSPCA and RSPB investigation officers work with the police for successful prosecutions.
Reporting a wildlife crime (or even a suspected wildlife crime) is important for two reasons.
- If the event is still happening it may enable the authorities to catch the criminals ‘in the act’ (which means a higher chance of prosecution),
- and if the event is over a report can still help to build up a more accurate picture of what might be happening in a specific location or across the country as a whole.
Our help is always welcomed
- Whoever we decide to contact we have been assured that our help is welcomed and that if we’re in any doubt that what we’re seeing is a crime we should report it anyway. Remember, if what we see ‘feels’ wrong, it probably is!
- Even if we’re not sure about what we’re seeing, we can take a photograph and email it to the police or an investigations officer – they are trained to quickly recognise for example when a snare is illegally placed, whether a trap is being used illegally, or whether a crime is being committed or not.
- We may help stop or solve future crimes by helping build up a pattern of behaviour in an area.
Have you ever wondered what UK law says about hunting with dogs, shooting, or collecting bird eggs? Or what protection foxes, badgers, bats, and birds of prey have? Whether a gamekeeper is using a snare, spring trap, or a cage trap legally? Wanted to know more about operating drones, using airguns, or driving quad bikes legally? What the different forms of trespass are, what constitutes assault, or what we should do if we’re arrested?
And have you ever been unimpressed with having to search hunting and shooting websites to find some of the information you need?
Us too! Which is why we have developed ‘Protectors of the Wild‘ and laid out the information we need in over thirty simple, mobile-friendly pages just like this one.
‘Protectors of the Wild‘ is a free resource to help us all become ‘eyes in the field’ by learning how to recognise, record, and report wildlife crime and wildlife persecution.
After all, the more we know, the more any potential criminal will have to be looking over their shoulder wondering if we know enough to Recognise, Record, and Report what they’re up to.
And the more we can all do to help protect the wild.
To access all Protectors information please go to Protectors of the Wild
Have you ever wondered what UK law says about hunting with dogs, shooting, or collecting bird eggs? Or what protection foxes, badgers, bats, and birds of prey have? Whether a gamekeeper is using a snare, spring trap, or a cage trap legally? Wanted to know more about operating drones, using airguns, or driving quad bikes legally? What the different forms of trespass are, what constitutes assault or harassment, or what we should do if we’re stopped and searched or even arrested?
And have you ever been unimpressed with having to search hunting and shooting websites to find some of the information you need?
Us too! Which is why we have developed ‘Protectors of the Wild‘ and laid out the information we need in forty-one simple, mobile-friendly pages and over 500 FAQs just like this one.
‘Protectors of the Wild‘ is a free resource with two aims: to help us all become ‘eyes in the field’ by learning how to recognise, record, and report wildlife crime and wildlife persecution; and to provide a ‘quick guide’ to anyone interacting with hunts, hunt supporters, or the police.
After all, the more we know, the more any potential criminal will have to be looking over their shoulder wondering if we know enough to Recognise, Record, and Report what they’re up to, and the more we know our rights the better we can protect ourselves.
And the more we can all do to help protect the wild.
The National Wildlife Crime Unit currently has seven priority offences for wildlife crime.
Badger persecution
It is illegal to interfere with or block a badger’s home or ‘sett’. Badger baiting is a centuries-old now illegal blood sport, where small dogs such as terriers or lurchers seek badgers out of their setts before fighting and killing them.
Bat persecution
Bats and their homes are legally protected, so disturbing or removing them is an offence. If bats roost in your roof, you need to obtain a special ‘bat mitigation licence’ from Natural England to be allowed to disturb them. They are hugely important to our ecosystem.
Trade of endangered species
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) sets out which endangered animals and plants have protected status. It is illegal to remove any of them from their natural habitat, possess, or sell them. Currently, the top priorities are European eels, birds of prey, ivory, medicinal and health products, reptiles, rhino horns, and timber.
Freshwater pearl mussel offences
These Endangered mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera) are only found in rivers in Scotland and small parts of England. They can live for more than 130 years but are extremely sensitive to water pollution and have been illegally farmed for years. It is illegal to damage or destroy their habitat or to take, injure or kill them.
Poaching
Fox, deer, and hare hunting are all illegal under the Hunting Act 2004. Poaching offences also cover illegal fishing – when anglers do not obtain a licence or remove protected fish from lakes and rivers without returning them.
Raptor persecution
Birds of prey are often targeted on shooting estates. Their eggs are also traded illegally. It is an offence to target, poison, or kill them, with a particular focus on Golden Sagles, Goshawks, Hen Harriers, Peregrines, Red Kites, and White-tailed Eagles. Disturbing or taking their eggs or chicks is also illegal.
Cyber-enabled wildlife crime
Social media is often used to promote wildlife crime and recruit people to take part in it. Endangered plants and animals are also traded illegally online.
- Punishment must fit the crime. Conditional discharges and paltry fines are not a disincentive for criminals.
A common complaint is that even if wildlife criminals are brought to court the fines or sentences they get are pathetic and not a disincentive. In most cases judges are giving out the penalties they are allowed to under the law. Changes can be made though. In 2022 the maximum sentence for ‘causing uneccesary suffering’ went from six months to five years. That was the result of targeted public pressure and campaigning. We need to identify where changes should be made and push hard for them.
- Wildlife crime must be notifiable and statistics accurately compiled so that resources can be properly targeted.
Police forces are required by law to inform the Home Office of any notifiable offences, which then uses the reports to compile the crime statistics known as ‘recorded crime’. Currently, wildlife crimes are not ‘notifiable’ though (and wildlife crime involving firearms are also not recorded as firearms offences by the Police). Without them being notifiable, no one knows how many wildlife crimes are being committed across the UK and where the hotspots are (though ‘grouse moors’ is one obvious response). As we have stated many times on this website, law and legislative enforcement is hugely underfunded and under-resourced. Some of this has undoubtedly been through political choice, but if we at least know which crimes are being committed and where, the resources that are available can be placed where they are needed most.
- There must be changes to make it far easier for all of us to play our part in ‘Recognising, Reporting, Recording’ wildlife cime.
As even a quick glance at the Protectors pages makes clear, laws protecting wildlife are hard to understand. Major pieces of legislation like the Hunting Act 2004 and other laws are riddled with exemptions which strongly favour the hunting, shooting, and agricultural industries. Some date from a century or more ago and don’t reflect the modern world. These need to be updated. While there has undoubtedly been efforts made by successive governmants to use ‘plain english’ to explain legislation, any government wanting to tackle wildlife crime needs to make understanding what is and what isn’t a crime far more easily understood and put resources into a reporting system that the public feel confident using. Crucially, the public need to be sure that if they do report a crime it will be acted upon.
- We have to protect the environment and wildlife properly.
Laws protecting wildlife and the environment need to be revised to reflect the 21st century and the biodiversity and climate crises we are in. Animals (and plants) are not an add-on or a ‘nice to have’ – they have shaped the systems that life depends on, and our laws need to reflect how critically important they are.
If you’d like to support just one legislative change, Protect the Wild has launched ‘The Hunting of Mammals Bill: A Proper Ban on Hunting‘ – please sign our petition calling for a proper ban on hunting with dogs.
We would like Protectors of the Wild to be the ‘go to’ free resource, packed with the kind of information that really does help all of us become ‘eyes in the field. But we can’t possibly think of every question that might need answering or every situation someone might find themselves in! And while the information in these pages is largely taken from Government online advice and was compiled in 2023 (and constantlyy updated), perhaps we’ve missed something out.
If you could provide us with legal advice get in touch. Or if you find a mistake or a gap please let us know. That way we can continually improve Protectors of the Wild – for the benefit of animals and all of us. Thanks.
‘Protectors of the Wild’ is a project of Protect the Wild. We have a dedicated email address for anyone wishing to get in touch with a specific Protectors query or with additional information etc. Please use the form on our Contact Protectors page or email protectors@protectthewild.org.uk. Thank you.
Much of the information we give in these pages is very technical or to do with legislation which can be revised without much notice. While we have worked very hard on these pages and we take keeping our information accurate and up-to-date very seriously, Protect the Wild are not legal professionals. Just to make sure no-one thinks we’re offering professional legal advice, we feel obliged to include the following disclaimer on every page.
- Please think of the ‘Protectors of the Wild’ pages as a ‘first stop’ before seeking legal advice. We provide detailed information but not professional advice. The information provided by Protect the Wild should NOT be considered or relied on as legal advice and is for general informational purposes only. Any of the material on our website may be out of date at any given time, and we are under no legal obligation to update such material. While we update and revise as often as we can, Protect the Wild assumes no responsibility for the accuracy and correctness of any information, or for any consequences of relying on it. Please do not act or refrain from acting upon this information without seeking professional legal advice.
