Glue board ban in Wales receives Royal Assent
The Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023 was passed by the Senedd on 27 June 2023 and given Royal Assent on 17 August 2023.
Part of the Act covers banning the use of rodent glue boards in Wales.
Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths said:
“A complete ban on the inhumane use of glue traps and snares is included in the Bill and means we will become the first nation in the UK to introduce such a ban”.
What are glue-boards?
Glue boards, also known as glue traps or sticky traps, are a type of pest control device used to capture and control rats and mice. These boards consist of a flat surface coated with a sticky adhesive substance that immobilizes and traps pests when they come into contact with it.
Attitudes toward the use of glue boards in pest control have evolved over time. While they can effectively capture pests, the ethical considerations and potential animal welfare issues associated with their use have led to increased scrutiny and calls for more humane methods of pest management.
Glue boards are particularly useful in situations where using toxic chemicals or traditional traps might not be suitable. There is increasing evidence to suggest that rodents are actively avoiding baits and bait boxes and in public health situations, glue boards can be an invaluable tool.
Control- but at what cost?
Glue boards are controversial due to the suffering they can cause to trapped animals. Animals caught on glue boards often struggle to free themselves, resulting in stress, injuries, and eventual death. This has led to ethical concerns and calls for more humane pest control alternatives.
Many animal welfare organizations and activists argue against the use of glue boards due to the potential cruelty involved in trapping animals in this way. The prolonged suffering experienced by trapped animals is a primary concern.
Human health V Rodent welfare
Despite their controversy, glue-boards are an invaluable tool in the fight against rodents-particularly in situations where human health is at risk.
Rodents in some areas are beginning to avoid traditional bait boxes and traps meaning standard pest control measures are not working. The reason for this is unclear and there is ongoing research from the BPCA and CRRU to try and establish why this is the case. In the meantime, where rodents are not eating bait or being tempted onto traps, glue-boards are essential in removing infestations quickly from high-risk sites.
There are strict guidelines around the use of glue-boards that all professional pest controllers should adhere to. This ensures any suffering in minimal and includes guidelines on what to do if non-target species are captured.
The future of glue-boards
The latest ruling in Wales shows that there is strong opposition against the general use of glue-boards in the UK. The British Pest Control have said the decision will adversely affect Welsh businesses and the health of the Welsh people and will lobby strongly against a similar ban in England.
Rather that a total ban, the BPCA are requesting that glue-boards become a licensed product that will take them away from the general public and unscrupulous users. If this comes to fruition, only time will tell, but at the moment it’s looking more and more likely that they will be removed from use throughout the UK.
Craig Peniket
Shield Pest Management
August 2023
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