Come unstuck: why Britain’s glue trap laws need fixing

Claire Bass, Senior Director, Campaigns and Public Affairs | Humane World for Animals UK

4 min read1 hr Partner content

The Government’s Animal Sentience Committee warns the sale of glue traps is putting people “at significant risk of breaking the law”: a sales ban will protect both animals and the public

In recent years, British governments have passed laws to limit or prohibit the use of rodent glue traps. But given that these traps are still widely available through major online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, and in hundreds of hardware stores in England, it’s understandable that most people don’t know that using these traps could lead to a criminal conviction. The problem is a fragmented patchwork of legislation that is putting both animals and the public at risk.

We’re urging action from the UK Government to get the public, retailers and animals out of this sticky situation.

What are glue traps?

Glue traps are flat cardboard or plastic boards coated with a strong adhesive. Food is added as bait and when animals run across the board they become stuck. Trapped animals may struggle for hours, sustaining severe injuries such as torn skin, broken bones, and can even chew through or tear off their limbs while trying to escape.

While these traps are designed to catch insects or rodents, they are indiscriminate. Animal rescue organisations report cases of robins, bats, hedgehogs and even cats being caught and killed.¹

What are the current laws?

In Wales, the use of glue traps has been illegal since October 2023, but sale to the public remains legal. In England, the Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 made it an offence to set a glue trap without a licence (only issued to professional pest controllers in limited circumstances), but our research has shown that they are still widely available for public purchase.² In Scotland, the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 went further by banning the use, supply and possession of glue traps.

The Internal Market Act 2020 prevented devolved governments from enacting sales bans unless a specific exclusion was permitted by the UK Government. In February 2026, the UK Government passed the exclusion regulation requested by the Scottish Government. This contributed to a delay of nearly two years between legislation being passed and the ban taking effect on 1^st July 2026.

Why aren’t the laws working?

Professional pest controllers appear to have moved away from using glue traps, and most national DIY and hardware chains have ceased selling them. But our research suggests that hundreds of independent shops in England are selling these traps for as little as £1.99, promising ‘safe’, ‘effective’ and ‘non-toxic’ control of unwanted rodents. Major online marketplaces such as Amazon also still list them, sometimes rebranded as insect traps and with misleading claims such as ‘harmless to both humans and pets’.³

In March 2026, the Animal Sentience Committee published a report noting the clear evidence that glue traps capable of trapping rodents remain on sale at retailers and online in England, and warned that “the continued sale of glue traps has the effect of placing people at significant risk of breaking the law".⁴ Products rebranded as insect traps often lack any guidance on how to humanely kill a trapped rodent, leading to additional suffering for trapped animals. Some shops contacted by Humane World for Animals’ mystery shopper suggested putting trapped animals, still alive, in the bin, or flushing them down the toilet. These would be offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Enforcement is also a problem, with evidence indicating that some police forces have received no specific training on the new law and no guidance on handling reports.⁵ A combination of widespread availability and lack of enforcement means that Britain has bans on cruel glue traps on paper, but not in practice.

What comes next?

On 1^st July, Scotland’s new comprehensive ban on the sale, use and possession of glue traps will come into effect. This will be the strongest restriction on glue traps in the UK, and is extremely welcome. But for NatureScot and Police Scotland to prevent glue trap use they must overcome significant enforcement challenges, including preventing the use of traps purchased in England or online.

There is a simpler solution.

If British governments accept that glue traps are cruel enough to justify criminal restrictions on their use, then continuing to allow public sale makes no sense. The simplest and most effective next step is for England and Wales to also ban their sale, online and offline. A full ban on use and sale would give much-needed clarity to the public and retailers and make enforcement achievable.

Without this, the law will remain muddled, animals will continue to suffer needlessly, and the public will remain at risk of buying products that they cannot legally use, and facing criminal convictions if caught. If we are serious about ending the cruelty of glue traps, a piecemeal approach can no longer be an option. The UK Government and the Senedd must follow Holyrood’s lead and ban the sale of glue traps.

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