Nearly 2,000 animals, 25% of which are protected species, have been rescued from glue traps since 2014

SINGAPORE – Glue traps – often used to deter rats and lizards – tend to trap local wildlife, and a quarter of animals rescued since 2014 are protected species, including kingfishers, bats and civets.

Although the immobilizing glue causes long-term suffering and fear in animals, fewer than one in five people are aware of the ill effects of glue traps, according to a study by the Animal Concern Research and Education Society (Acres).

Between 2014 and 2023, approximately 1,910 captured wild animals were rescued by Acres, noting that the number of victims could be higher if reports handled by other animal welfare organizations and veterinary clinics, as well as unreported cases, are taken into account.

Glue traps are planks or containers of various sizes that are coated with a strong adhesive to catch pests. They are used in places such as homes, workplaces and industrial areas. Glue boards and cans of anti-pest glue are sold online and in hardware stores.

Of the 1,000 respondents surveyed at the end of 2023, 61 percent would throw away live rats that were in the glue boards. If wild animals were captured, almost half of respondents said they would dump the animals, and only 10 percent of 1,000 people would alert animal welfare groups or the National Parks Board (NParks).

“Animals trapped in glue traps suffer painful deaths due to starvation, dehydration and suffocation. Even those who are rescued face a grueling recovery process, often succumbing to their injuries or requiring extensive medical interventions,” Acres said on May 7, while making a renewed call to regulate glue traps here.

The glue tears off the fur or feathers as the animals struggle to break free. Some even break bones or chew through their limbs to escape.

Of the animals rescued since 2014, a quarter were protected species, such as kingfishers, shrews, owls, songbirds, bats, snakes, civets and monitor lizards.

The rehabilitation of the injured animals takes up to five months, because it takes time for the skin to heal and the feathers to grow again. Birds such as raptors and kingfishers must be fully healed before they can hunt and fly, Acres said.

There is currently no ban or regulation on the sale and use of glue traps, Acres said.

Places like Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and Victoria in Australia have banned glue traps.

According to National Environment Agency (NEA) rat control guidelines, glue boards should be placed in areas that are inaccessible and remote, especially for stray animals.

When used in an open area, a suitable cover must be placed over the bonding board to prevent wildlife from becoming trapped.

Although pest control companies must adhere to these guidelines, only 26 percent of respondents said they hired such companies when faced with rat infestations, according to the survey, conducted in collaboration with marketing consultancy Antzworkz Consultants and market research firm Rakuten Insight Global.

In early 2023, NParks said it was working with NEA and the Singapore Pest Management Association to explore how to avoid the use of glue traps in some situations and limit it in others, and that it was revising guidelines to achieve this .

In the meantime, Acres said it will continue to contact government agencies and the pest control industry about regulating the use of glue traps and ending public access to them.

The association reiterated that such traps will not solve the root problem of the pest infestation.

“Better waste management and a responsible social attitude, such as refraining from littering, combined with prompt and effective enforcement, will go a long way in controlling pests,” Acres said.