The Case Against Glue Traps

The SF Animal Commission heard a presentation from WildCare in San Rafael about the need to ban inhumane glue traps due to the danger to wildlife. photo: WIldCare

At its March meeting, the San Francisco Animal Commission discussed four issues that have received continuing attention from the community and the media: the San Francisco Zoo, horseback riding in our city, live animal markets, and glue traps. Each of these issues is important, and although there are challenges in addressing them, the commissioners do what we can - and then we try to do more.

It’s true that glue traps may not have received quite as much media coverage as some of the other topics, but they are an increasing concern. And among those who have paid attention to this issue, the consensus is that a glue trap ban is long overdue.

During our April meeting, commissioners heard a compelling presentation called The Case Against Glue Traps: Perspectives from WildCare’s Wildlife Hospital. This informative look at the issue was provided by Alison Hermance, director of communications and marketing at WildCare, and Jakob Shaw, manager of strategic initiatives at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

In fact, this presentation was a continuation of an earlier commission discussion that both Hermance and Shaw participated in last year. At that time, the commission was inspired by the recent glue trap ban enacted in West Hollywood. We were also hopeful about proposed national legislation that had been recently introduced by U.S. Representative Ted Lieu (District 36 – L.A.). 

As currently drafted, Representative Lieu’s proposed Glue Trap Prohibition Act (H.R. 7018) would place a national ban on the possession and use of glue traps. The draft act defines glue traps as among the cruelest ways to eliminate rodents, adding “in their attempts to escape the glue, animals may tear off their skin, and some may even gnaw off their own limbs. Animals that do not escape die of blood loss, suffocation, or dehydration.” The act notes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) opposes the use of glue traps, as ensnared rodents can spread disease. It further notes the number of countries, cities, agencies, and businesses around the world who have taken steps to limit or ban glue traps over animal welfare, health, and humane concerns.

Unfortunately, the Glue Trap Prohibition Act has been held up in a congressional subcommittee since last August and there has been no further action to date. But that doesn’t mean that San Francisco can’t do its part right now.

At the commission’s April meeting, Hermance discussed the work WildCare does to assist animals who have experienced glue trap-related trauma. A highly respected nonprofit organization located in Marin County, WildCare advocates for animals and educates people on how to coexist with wildlife. The organization also runs a hospital that has treated wildlife since 1974.

During WildCare’s April presentation, commissioners learned that, in 2024 alone, the WildCare hospital treated over 3,400 animals, with 80% of the injuries treated due to negative human interaction, including animals who were victims of glue traps. We learned that the process for removing an animal from a glue trap is horrifyingly labor-intensive, involving the hands of at least three or four staff members or volunteers. Many of the trapped animals who enter WildCare’s hospital are brought in by people who set the glue traps themselves, not realizing how horrific they were until they saw an animal stuck to one. 

Although WildCare has been successful at removing and rehabilitating a number of the affected animals, it’s clear these inhumane traps should no longer be marketed. In fact, many retailers such as Big Lots, CVS, Gelson’s Markets, Rite Aid, Target, and Walgreens have pulled glue traps from their shelves. Recently, Ojai became the second city in California to enact a glue trap ban, and the traps have been prohibited in Washington, D.C., for a number of years. They are also banned in over 100 airports throughout the U.S., as well as in a number of other countries including Wales, England, New Zealand, India, and Ireland. It is my hope that San Francisco will soon join this list. Knowing the harm that glue traps do, how can anyone justify the need for them?

As is the case with most of the problems that people have with animals, there likely wouldn’t be a problem if we humans got a better handle on our own behaviors. That’s why it’s important to educate our residents about the most effective method of rodent control: prevention. This includes eliminating food sources and removing debris and materials that could potentially become homes for unwanted rodents. 

But the solution should never be glue traps, nor should it be rodenticides, which stay in the food chain, transmitting poisons to larger animals that consume them. Moreover, these inhumane methods don’t work. After all, we’ve used poisons and traps for years with no improvement in the overall rodent population. 

As the Animal Commission continues its work on these and other issues, please let us know your thoughts and suggestions on making a glue trap ban a reality for San Francisco. You know where to find us - see you at City Hall!

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The next meeting of the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare is at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, May 8, Room 408 at City Hall (1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102). Information about remote access to meetings is available at sf.gov/animalcommission. Agendas are published 72 hours prior to the meeting.