Glue traps are a common and reliable way of getting rid of mice in houses and offices.
- A glue trap is a plastic tray or a compact cardboard with a sticky surface that holds pests once they come into contact with the glue.
But what are the pros and cons of using glue traps for mice?
Pros: easy to use, cheap to purchase, provide quick results, non- toxic, best for tight locations, and easy to dispose of the dead mouse.
Cons: no effective results in extremes temperatures, some people consider it as a brutal act, pets and children can get stuck, requires frequent check-ups, and are easily damaged by dust and moisture.
Related: Outdoor Rat Traps
A) The Pros of Using Glue Traps for Mice
1. Easy to use
Make sure you have several of these traps in different locations for the best and quick elimination results of mice.
- Easy to use, no complications or special skills are needed.
- First, take a though check-up of mice routes and spots they are more active.
- Once you take it out of the package, they are ready to set.
- Set down the traps along the pathways and location you have identified for mice movements.
- Once they step on the traps, they will get stuck.
- Afterwards get it and dispose it away far away from your house.
2. Cheap and Provides quick results
How effective are glue traps for mice? Glue traps are very cheap and readily available; most people can afford to get them from the sellers compared to buying of pesticides to kill them. Note; no trap re-setup and clean up needed.
Once several traps are well placed; you can add some peanut on the trap. The peanut scent will attract the mice.
- They are fast to monitor pest movements.
- Most mice will move near the traps and get stuck due to glue board which holds them tightly.
- It will save your time since you won’t run all over the place hunting over one mouse.
3. Non-toxic
Compared to the best mouse poisons, the glue on the trap surface is not poisonous to pets, human beings and pests trapped too.
The aim of the glue traps is to;
- To hold the mice once it passes on the surface.
- Trapped animals does not die immediately, they suffer only from starvation and dehydration for the days stuck.
4. Best for tight locations
Mice best places are beneath or behind furniture, inside cabinets and closets and enclosed spaces.
- Take your trap, fold or cut in a way it will fit into tight places.
- Place the traps and keep an eye after that to find the stuck mice.
- No worries of the mice dying in hidden places and smelling bad since they will remain stuck until you remove them.
5. Easy to dispose the dead animals
After a few days check the traps you have placed in different locations; there is a high possibility of mice being trapped. So, how effective are glue traps for mice?
- It’s very easy to dispose the dead mouse and trap together.
- Just ensure you put on gloves to prevent yourself from germs of the dead mice.
- Wrap them together and throw them away in the garbage.
B) The cons of using glue traps for mice
1. No effective results in extremes temperatures.
In direct sunlight and extremes temperatures, glue trap won’t work well. It will melt out. So in places with hot temperatures the following will happen;
- You will have to keep the trap in a flat position flat- this may hinder trapping mice in odd angles places since it will ooze out of the tray.
- In direct sunlight, the glue will dry up.
- If placed near the flames, hot water heater or gas, they can cause fire because the mouse can drag the trap onto the flames.
2. Its a brutal act
Once a mouse is trapped in a glue trap, the following events will take place; The mouse suffers from starvation and suffocation for the days it’s stuck.
- Mostly it may try to flee itself hence getting more injuries to its body parts. Most people consider this to be very inhuman.
- The mouse trapped does not die immediately; it suffers for a long period and struggles a lot.
- The mouse may panic and die from heart attack.
Related: Best Mole Traps
3. Pets and children can get stuck
Sometimes pets and small children can get stuck to the trap causing injuries to them. Once they are trapped, it will take your time and energy trying to remove them unhurt; the following procedure will be needed:
- Take some cooking oil.
- Pour the oil on the glue trap at the points where the animal is held.
- Then massage the animal’s skin to work the oil into glue. This may take some few minutes to work.
- Once it’s free from the trap, take some soap and water to clean it the oil.
- For a child skin, carefully pull out the trap from the skin surface.
- Apply some cooking oil on the affected place and dab the glue remains.
- Allow the oil to stay for some few minutes. Using a dry cloth, rub the skin to remove the softened glue.
4. Any other pet might get stuck on the trap e.g. House pets
You need to take the trapped animal and dispose it to your garbage. A small child might get stuck his hand or leg while in the house accidentally.
- The trap might have been spoilt by heat or moisture hence not meeting the mission.
- The trap might have been dislocated by another pet or something from where you had placed it.
- Trapped mice might use their own urine and hair to free themselves from the traps.
5. Easily damaged by dust and moisture
- Dust and moisture reduces the efficiency of the trap in these ways;
- The dust will cover the glue on the trap board hence the glue will be dry and muddy; it will not be able to hold the animal targeted tightly.
- The moisture will make the glue unstuck therefore it cannot hold any animal that comes into contact with it.
Conclusion
Mice will transmit diseases, contaminate food, and damage clothes and other house items. Do it again if necessary, then wash the skin with some water and soap to remove the oil.
- Requires frequent check ups. This can be so boring and tiresome, but frequent check up are necessary because of the following;
- Mice can be trapped anytime at any given spot you had placed the traps.
