Content:
- What are Glue Traps?
- How to Use Glue Traps for Mice
- Pros of Glue Traps
- Cons of Glue Traps
- Rescuing Animals from Glue Traps
- Other Ways to Get Rid of Mice
- Conclusion
- FAQs
Having mice run around your home like they own it can be annoying, especially if they cause harm to your surroundings, eat your food, and make so much noise that you’re afraid to walk into your kitchen in the dark for fear of stepping on mice.
Well, the good news is that you can use many methods to reduce or completely exterminate mice around your house. One of them includes the use of glue or sticky traps. Glue traps might not be the most effective method, but they can help eliminate these animals to an extent.
This article will give you insight into these traps, how to set them up, and the pros and cons of using this method.
What are Glue Traps?
A glue trap is a flat board, typically made of plastic, cardboard, or fireproof board, with a coating of special glue that can trap any small animal that walks into the surface.
Many people prefer glue traps because they are easily accessible and don’t involve poison or chemicals.
However, to other people, using glue traps is a cruel method of eliminating rodents because it can cause prolonged suffering and, ultimately, death to the animals entrapped.
How to Use Glue Traps for Mice
Using glue traps is easy and does not require specialized tools. Here are the steps to setting up a sticky trap.
- Remove the packaging.
First things first, take the trap out of the packaging. Remove any protective paper in it, grip a corner of the glue trap, and gently pull it apart in a gentle, continuous motion. If any glue boards are present, you can use them by folding them as a covered trap.
- Place the trap
Do not place the trap in corners; instead, position it where the mice are actively seen or along their regular route. This may include under kitchen equipment like the cooker or fridge, inside cupboards at night, or along the walls. However, before you place the trap, wear a glove so that your scent doesn’t stick to the trap. Mice can tell, and they’ll avoid it.
- Dispose of the trap’s content.
It takes about two days max to catch mice, but if you don’t find anything in the trap after two days, you should change the trap’s position. If you’ve captured an animal and it’s dead by the time you find it, carefully dispose of the contents in the trash.
Pros of Glue Traps
There are many benefits to using glue traps over all other kinds of traps. They include
- No chemicals are required.
All you need to do is purchase the trap and set it up. You don’t have to go out of your way to buy and work with toxic chemicals that can harm you and others, especially young children.
- It is affordable.
Glue traps are cheap and can be found in any convenience store near you. You are also easily accessible and require no equipment to use.
- It holds mice in place.
If a mouse dies from poison, you’ll smell it, but you’ll have to do the extra work of finding it. Plus, it can die in places you wouldn’t want it to, making it harder to clean. With sticky traps, however, the animal is glued in place. All you have to do is dispose of it.
- They are reusable.
Unlike snap traps, you can use these multiple times, provided you clean them after every use and place bait on them.
- It can be used in tight corners.
If mice frequently hide in a tight corner of the house, you can use glue traps to get rid of them. If the trap is too big, you can cut it into smaller shapes since it’s usually made of cardboard or plastic.
- They don’t require monitoring.
Since you’ll not be vigilant 24/7 since you need to sleep, work, and leave the house, pests tend to move around, especially since they can tell no one is around when they don’t hear any noise. In this case, glue traps will work best to catch them red-handed when they’re strolling frivolously and seem like they can’t be caught.
- They reveal signs of trouble.
Sometimes it can be hard to tell the extent of a mouse infestation since they all look the same, but a sticky trap can help you find out if there is a need for professional extermination. If there’s an infestation, you’d be able to catch a lot of mice with a single trap. They don’t only work on mice but can also help you get rid of small insects and other animals.
- They are easy to handle.
With a glue trap, you wouldn’t have to worry about your hands being snapped or worse. They are easy to handle and can be placed strategically away from babies and pets.
Cons of Glue Traps
- Glue traps cause prolonged suffering.
When an animal is stuck in a glue trap, they tend to go into full-blown panic mode since they were moving a second ago, and it suddenly can’t. They’d struggle and struggle, only to get stuck even more. Because of this, the glue often tears off their skin and fur. Sometimes, these animals break their bones in an attempt to be free.
As these animals are on their own, they can suffer for days and eventually die of thirst, shock, or suffocation if they aren’t quickly noticed. If they are disposed of alive, they are crushed along with the rest of your garbage.
- Glue traps are completely indiscriminate.
Other animals like snakes, bats, frogs, birds, and even pets can get stuck in these boards, leaving them terrified and fearful.
- Glue traps are a health hazard.
When these animals get stuck on the board, they often urinate or poop on it, and these excrements can carry microbes that can cause serious disease and infection when spread. The pathogens spread by this method include the Hantavirus and bacteria like salmonella and leptospira.
- Glue traps don’t completely work in the long term
While glue traps tend to eliminate some unwanted pests in your home, they only do so in the short term. This method is not effective for the long-term removal of these animals. Since mice breed fast, you’ll still have the same issue in no time. If you don’t get to the root cause of the problem and destroy their homes, you’ll be dealing with a mouse infestation for a long time.
- You’d have to replace them.
The glue doesn’t last forever. It takes about two weeks for the glue to lose its potency, after which you’ll have to purchase another.
Rescuing Animals from Glue Traps
Many of these animals die of suffocation, chewing off their legs, breaking their bones, and eventually dying of blood loss. Other animals that the trap was not intended for can fall victim to these traps and die too. In some countries, like the United States, it is illegal to use sticky traps for many animal species.
If you’re interested in ensuring these animals don’t die inhumanely, the best way to do so is to rescue the animal before it dies. Here are steps to take when you find the animal alive:
- Gather supplies
The supplies you’ll need include cooking oil, a pair of gloves, a damp cloth, a container, and some tissues.
- Begin the rescue mission.
Cover the animal’s head with a dish towel to prevent it from becoming even more scabby. Next, apply the baby oil where it’s stuck and gently massage it into the area. Do this repeatedly until the limbs and body come free. Do not use much oil; you only need a drop or two.
After successfully separating the animal from the glue trap, place the tissue over it, so it isn’t clumsy enough to trap itself again. If you can’t seem to get the animal free, or if the animal is injured, you can call a vet or any other animal professional.
- Release the animal
After rescuing the animal, it’s time to let it out. Use the damp cloth to absorb any excess oil and place the animal in a secure container, cover it, and place it in a quiet location so the animal can rest for a while. Ensure the container has openings that can serve as air vents so it doesn’t suffocate.
Other Ways to Get Rid of Mice
- Make the area unattractive.
If you have a mouse infestation in your home, you can easily eliminate it by making the area unattractive. This means you’d have to eliminate all sources of food that could be attractive to them. Seal up all your trash cans, and do not feed your pets outside.
- Clean regularly
Mice are attracted to an unclean environment. Keep your counters, cabinets, and floors clean at all times. If you spill pet food on the floor, clean it up quickly.
- Gather any fallen fruit.
If you have a garden or orchard, when it’s the fruiting season, there’s a high chance of ripe fruits falling on the ground, which can attract rodents. Always pick up these fruit trees from the ground to avoid an infestation problem.
- Trim grasses
Like snakes, mice and other small animals can hide in grass and vegetation. Make it a duty to trim your grass and bushes regularly. Inspect all outdoor equipment and furniture, and keep these far away from the main building.
- Use of Chemicals
If these rodents are giving you a hard time, resort to using chemicals like ammonia. Ammonia has a pungent smell that mice hate. All you need to do is find cotton balls, soak them in the chemical, and place the soaked balls in their suspected hiding place or nest. If you don’t know where they are hiding, place the cotton balls where you usually find their droppings.
- Use of sealant
If you find the entry points, you can seal them using sealants such as hardware cloth, foam sealant, metal flashing, or any other durable material that is strong enough to hold them off.
Conclusion
Glue traps are one of the oldest and fairly effective ways to stop mice in their tracks, literally. However, this isn’t the most humane method, as these rodents tend to suffer for a long time until they are found.
Sometimes, they are even disposed of alive along with the trap. You can choose to rescue the animals using the methods stated in this article.
However, if you’re dealing with an infestation, you should try other methods or contact a professional for assistance.
FAQs
- What happens if your child gets trapped?
It can be scary or even amusing if your child gets trapped instead of the rodent. All you need to do is prevent the child from struggling, so they don’t get even more stuck. Help them remain calm, then rescue them using the same method for rescuing mice. Apply cooking oil, baby oil, or mineral oil to the area and slowly peel the skin off the body. Dab oil on the affected area and leave it on for a few minutes until the glue dissolves. Clean the area with a cloth, then bathe the child.
- Do glue traps work in cold weather?
Yeah, but it depends on the temperature. Glue traps typically become non-sticky at about -7.5°C but work best at 10°C.
- Do glue traps work outside?
Not very well since dust, twigs, and other particles can easily cover the surface, making it less effective. Larger animals that the trap isn’t intended for can also be caught.
- How long do glue traps last?
Not very long. They last for less than a month, so you’d have to replace them. However, if you catch something within two weeks of use, you should be able to reuse the glue trap.
