Rat Caught By a Glue Trap
Rat Caught By a Glue Trap
Rat #0925 arrived at WildCare helplessly stuck to a glue trap. The homeowner had set the trap for this very purpose-- to catch a rat, but witnessing the cruel and painful suffering caused by the glue trap prompted this animal's rescue.
At WildCare, wildlife technicians put the rat under general anesthesia to relieve his pain and stress and prevent him from struggling and becoming further injured as they worked with an anti-stick solvent to free him.
After twenty minutes of teamwork, rat #0925 was free from the trap and put on oxygen.
The consequences of glue traps are devastating, this rat had endured hours if not days stuck, frightened, starving and dehydrating. As he frantically tried to free himself, the trap pulled out his fur, leaving painfully raw patches of skin. Nonetheless he was lucky. Lucky, because his struggle was seen, where many glue trap victims are only viewed after suffering a long and drawn-out death. A person saw the cruel and drawn out death a glue trap causes, and brought rat #0925 to WildCare, where he made a full recovery and was able to be released.
What Are Glue Traps?
Glue traps are a rodent control option on the market intended to trap mice and rats. When an animal steps on the trap it becomes stuck to the surface. As the animal attempts to free itself, it becomes completely enmeshed in the adhesive, eventually dying of suffocation, starvation or dehydration.
Why Glue Traps are Inhumane
- Cruel: Trapped animals chew off limbs, starve, dehydrate, and suffocate while trying to escape from the glue. Glue traps have no means other than immobilization to kill the animal. All animals stuck to a glue trap die slow horrible deaths.
- Non-target animals: These traps are indiscriminate; pet and wild birds alike are frequently killed by sticky traps, as are non-target reptiles, and mammals like chipmunks, opossums and even domestic cats.
Glue traps can also lead to human exposure to disease: Hantavirus (HPS) is a fatal respiratory disease passed through rodent droppings and urine. Animals caught in glue traps defecate and urinate on the sticky surface putting humans at an increased risk of contracting HPS.
Why WildCare cares and what we are doing
People frequently bring animals to WildCare that have been caught in glue traps -- both target and non-target animals. After witnessing first-hand the suffering caused by glue traps, WildCare is speaking out to educate the public about humane rodent control and alternatives to glue traps.
How to Control Rodents Humanely
The best method of rodent control is prevention. Rodents tend to set up camp in our homes when food and space are made available to them.
- Remove potential rodent homes like yard debris, trash, construction waste, etc.
- Eliminate food sources. Keep bulk food, seed, and dry pet food in metal cans with secure lids. Pick up fallen fruit. Take birdfeeders inside at night.
- Exclude rodents from your home. Seal openings 1/2 inch or larger around the outside of your house with metal, concrete, or Stuf-fit Copper Mesh Wool, which can be found online or at hardware stores.
- Include natural rodent predators in your solution. A family of five owls can consume up to 3000 rodents in breeding season. Placing a nest box to encourage a family of owls to make your property home can be a great alternative to commercial pest control methods. Please visit www.hungryowl.org/ for more information.
- Use catch-and-release traps as a safe, sanitary, and humane solution. Catch-and-release traps will allow you to remove rodents from inside your home, but you must prevent their return by sealing entrance and exit holes and removing attractants (see above).
- If you exhaust all the above efforts and as a last resort decide to kill the rodents, please consider purchasing a rat zapper or snap traps.