The Dangers of Glue Traps!

PLEASE do not use glue traps to capture mice! Whether they are to trap mice or the Spotted Lanternfly, glue traps do not discriminate and trap anything that comes across them. If you need to control Lanternflies in your yard, please take appropriate precautions. Our Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital has recently seen numerous birds admitted to our care after being caught on these traps, and multiple times it has caught 2-3 birds at a time. Unfortunately, this is consistent and frustrating cause of intake at rehabilitation centers. The pictures below are two animals admitted for this exact reason, a Gray Catbird and a Southern Flying Squirrel.

When animals become adhered to a glue trap they may struggle trying to free themselves for hours or days. In addition to possibly doing extensive damage to their fur, feathers, skin, and bones, these animals may also suffer from capture myopathy. Capture myopathy causes damage to the muscles due to physiological imbalances after long periods of struggle and stress. This can happen in wild animals with prolonged handling by humans as well. Unfortunately, capture myopathy many times is lethal to the animal and treatment is not always successful.

If an animal is found stuck to a glue trap, the best option is to take it to a Wildlife Rehabilitator as soon as possible. Do not attempt to pull the animal off of the trap, as this can result in significant injury to the wild animal. Please keep the animal on the trap in a dark, quiet place with minimal handling. Please also cover the exposed areas of the glue trap with paper so that the animal can’t get more entangled.

If you use Spotted Lanternfly glue traps on your trees, please construct a cage around it such as the one in the supplied picture. This will keep wild birds from being caught but allow the Lanternflies to crawl up from below to still encounter the trap. Detailed instructions on constructing the wildlife barrier can be found at Penn State Extension. You can also find videos and instructions at Penn State Extension for other trap options.

Click here to learn more about circle traps!

 

If you have questions regarding native New Jersey wildlife, please call our Wildlife Hospital at 856-983-3329 ext. 107.