Glue traps for pests could hurt SWFL wildlife

A device used to battle rodents in Southwest Florida could be hurting the area’s wildlife.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s von Arx Wildlife Hospital has treated three birds stuck to glue traps over the past few weeks.

“No matter if it’s a mammal, a bird or a reptile, they all struggle and so they can rip off feathers and fur, scales so they can even break legs and wings while they are struggling,” said Colleen Durham, von Arx Wildlife Hospital coordinator. “They’re really awful traps.”

The traps are inhumane, even for rats.

“The glue is not toxic so it doesn’t actually kill them. And so what they die of is just dehydration, starvation struggling,” Durham said.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida said when fighting rodents, prevention is key. They recommend not leaving pet food out at night, closing trash bins and making sure tree branches don’t touch your roof.

But when prevention fails, local pest control companies can help get rid of rodents in a way that won’t affect the local wildlife.

Isaac Rempe, owner of Affordable Wildlife Removal, uses creative and humane devices to remove wildlife.

“We don’t want to cause a domino effect from animal A to animal C by using the wrong techniques,” Rempe said.

Rempe said he avoids glue traps.

“If you put a glue trap on the outside of a home you’re not going to specifically catch your target,” he said. “You’re going to catch all kinds of other things.”

Michael McElliot, a certified pest control operator with Harp’s No Risk Pest Control, uses glue traps for insects, but not rats.

“We use a snap trap,” McElliot said. “It’s very simple. It’s very painless if it’s on properly by a professional.”

The bottom line?

Isaac Rempe, Owner, Affordable Wildlife Removal
“The wrong tools are out there and they get used more often than they should,” Rempe said.