Catching Rats & Mice using Glue Boards

In Pests

Glue Boards are only used by PEST UK as a last resort. They are very popular in other countries including the United States but in the UK, probably due to the fact we are less cruel than a lot of countries they are not so popular. There are strict Guidelines about catching Rats & Mice using Glue Boards. The British Pest Control Association (the BPCA, of which PEST UK is a member so is obliged to abide by them). The main criteria is that they must be inspected every 12 hours by a trained person and any trapped animals must be dealt with swiftly. In some countries glue boards are even left in bait boxes for inspection on the contract visits! This means that they may be left for weeks or months before being checked. Another BPCA criteria is that all other methods must be tried first before using them.

When Should they be used?

As stated all other reasonable methods: baiting, trapping, proofing, contact gels & foam & removal of food sources should be tried first. A typical area where they might be used is in a food shop where the rats or mice will not be interested in baits or food on traps as they have ample supply and are used to feeding on certain foods in a certain way. There may have been initial success but leaving the rats or mice that won’t change their habits and feed on poisons. The use of contact gels and foams may be restricted in these areas. Another time of use is where a rodent is trapped in a room and is too frightened to take baits or go near a trap but can be persuaded to cross a glue board. This happened at one of Ken’s jobs (see photo).

These glue boards had only been down 10 mins & the rat was caught.

In most cases the use of glue boards can be avoided but occasionally there is no choice. In any case it is highly unlikely that using glue boards on there own will eradicate an infestation in fact the distressing nature of their use may have a detrimental effect on other control methods such as baiting.

Ken with a rat caught on a glue board