A new City Council bill could, if enacted, prevent New Yorkers from using glue traps to keep mice and other critters out of their homes.
Newly elected Council Member Harvey Epstein, who represents parts of Lower Manhattan, announced on Feb. 12 a bill that, if turned into law, would ban the sale of glue traps — a means of pest control, typically made of small boards coated with an adhesive that mice, rats, and other critters get stuck upon before slowly dying.
While some New Yorkers believe glue traps are a more humane pest control method than spring traps or poison, many animal experts and other New Yorkers argue that glue traps are just as “cruel” and inhumane.
“Animals stuck to glue traps will rip off their own skin and fur trying to escape,” WildCare, a wildlife rehab group in California, explains on its website. “They will even chew off their own limbs in a desperate attempt to get away. They inflict terrible injuries on themselves, even fracturing limbs, trying to get free. Trapped animals suffer for days as they slowly suffocate and starve.”
However, banning glue traps does more than show mercy to animals deemed pests. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), glue traps can even lead to humans getting sick.
“These traps can scare the rodents, causing them to urinate, which can increase your chance of getting sick,” the CDC’s website warns.
People who come in contact with infected rodent droppings, urine, or saliva can get something called “hantavirus disease,” which is a rare but serious illness that primarily affects the respiratory system. Although most cases of hantavirus have occurred in states west of the Mississippi River, there have been several reported cases in New York, according to the state’s Department of Health.
The increased risk of human exposure to rodent-borne diseases is a major part of Epstein’s push for the bill. The traps can also harm pets, he said, and do not work as well as other means of ridding homes and businesses of vermin.
“These products are not only dangerous to humans, they also often harm unintended targets like birds, cats and dogs and are less effective than other pest control methods,” the council member explained.
Scrap glue traps for safer methods, Epstein says
Animal advocates recommend prevention methods — such as containerizing garbage and plugging holes in walls — to achieve a rodent-free home or office.
Glue traps can be expensive, requiring repeated purchases that can quickly add up to a high cost. A six-pack of glue traps can be as much as $15 at many major retailers.
“There are other safer, more humane, and more cost-effective options available,” the council member said. “Cities and businesses around the United States are recognizing glue traps’ risks and ending their sale accordingly. New York City should do the same.”
Major animal welfare organizations applauded the bill’s introduction.
“It’s a big day for little animals in New York City thanks to Council Member Harvey Epstein’s proposed glue trap ban, which has the potential to spare countless mice, rats, birds, and other animals from slow, excruciating, and terrifying deaths,” said Tracy Reiman, president of PETA. “Glue traps are cruel, ineffective, and quickly becoming a thing of the past. PETA encourages New Yorkers to urge their councilmembers to support this lifesaving bill.
Reiman added that big-box shops such as Target, CVS and Dollar Tree, have made the choice to end the sale of glue traps.
Voters for Animal Rights president Allie Taylor described the bill to amNewYork as “compassionate governance” on the part of Epstein.
“We are grateful to Council Member Epstein for his leadership and commitment to compassionate governance,” she said. “Glue traps cause prolonged suffering and indiscriminately harm wildlife, companion animals, and other unintended victims. Prohibiting their sale is a practical step toward reducing unnecessary cruelty and advancing more humane approaches to addressing rodent issues.”
A possible statewide ban on glue traps
In addition to the city council’s move to ban the traps, similar legislation is being considered in the NYS Legislature, aiming for statewide prohibition. amNewYork wrote about statewide legislation in 2024. Before getting elected to the City Council, Epstein worked on a similar glue trap ban in the State Assembly.
Today, Assembly Member Paula Kay, who represents most of Sullivan County, is taking on the battle of the ban in the state. Her bill, A10193, would prohibit the “importation, manufacture, sale, distribution and use of glue traps, glue boards, and other adhesive-based rodent traps,” according to its legislative summary.
The bill is currently in the Assembly Committee.
