# Mouse glue traps: Cause of Death? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 24, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516 "2005-11-24T00:29:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516/1 "2005-11-24T00:29:53Z")
My boss was at a party last night and the host took him next store to show him a house that was for sale that he was looking after. Since the house had mice, he had set up some glue traps. My boss wanted to know how a glue trap kills. (And as an aside, do they really not have glue traps in the U.K.?) I assume that they mice just starve, but I never researched it. What’s the straight dope? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516/2 "2005-11-24T00:33:10Z")
I think they just starve or die of thirst if you leave them for a few days. Some get their mouth caught in the glue and sophicate. I use glue traps and the mice are always alive when I catch them. I caught a live one (RIP) just two days ago. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516/3 "2005-11-24T00:48:12Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > And as an aside, do they really not have glue traps in the U.K.?) I’ve not seen them here; we have the traditional ‘snap!’ kind, plus the humane live trap kind where the mouse is trapped in a box and you release it outdoors (whereupon it is either captured and eaten by a cat, or promptly finds its way back into your house). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516/4 "2005-11-24T00:49:13Z")
Oh, and we have these little plastic huts ready-baited with poison. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516/5 "2005-11-24T01:05:25Z")
I imagine some significant proportion of the rodents will also panic at being unable to escape and will suffer a murine heart attack. No matter what, it’s arguably not a pleasant death for the critters. I abhor these traps. Either fast-acting poison baits or snap traps are more humane. If you really want to be kind, use any of several types of live traps and release them in the wild somwhere away from your house. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516/6 "2005-11-24T01:39:12Z")
At the warehouse I used to work at had a serious rat problem (as do all warehouses on the river). We used a LOT of glue traps. One day one of the guys found a trap with two-and-a-half rats on it. One of the rats had started eating his trapped companion. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516/7 "2005-11-24T01:44:13Z")
The ad below refers to anger management-how not to eat your partner when caught in disagreeable conditions… ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516/8 "2005-11-24T02:11:48Z")
I somehow got a mouse in my car a few weeks ago. Based on the timing, I think it stowed away with a bag of food put out by the curb for our Cub Scout food drive. This rodent did a fair amount of damage to my vehicle in the three weeks it lived in there. It chewed up two pairs of gloves, the ear piece to my cell phone, and pooped everywhere. Everytime I get into my car, I start sneezing now. I didn’t want to use poison because I didn’t want a dead mouse stuck in an inaccessable area. Snap traps had to be placed and removed each night and morning, as vehicle bumps would trip them. I ended up putting out an electronic electrocution trap baited with peanut butter and six glue traps baited with gumdrops. The first night, one gum drop was missing. I left it without the gumdrop. Two nights later, still nothing. The next morning, the same glue trap was gone. I found the mouse a few feet away, thoroughly glued and dead. It must have either died of fear or it froze to death. Fine with me. I absolutely hate mice. They’ve done more damage to my property over the years than any other pest. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516/9 "2005-11-24T03:03:54Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Either fast-acting poison baits or snap traps are more humane. What, exactly, are “fast-acting poison baits”? AFAIK, rodent poison is all essentially coumadin–the rodents bleed to death, and not usually quickly. It’s also supposed to be horrible. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516/10 "2005-11-24T03:20:53Z")
> [@toadspittle](#): > > What, exactly, are “fast-acting poison baits”? AFAIK, rodent poison is all essentially coumadin–the rodents bleed to death… There is another common kind, called [bromethalin](http://www.admani.com/AllianceAnimalHealth/Rodenticides2.htm), which is a neurotoxin. “Fast acting” is a relative term, in this case, since death occurs in one to two days as compared to seven or eight days for coumadin-based baits. > [@](#): > > Active Ingredient: Bromethalin Wipe Out products contain a unique neurotoxin, bromethalin. Unlike anticoagulants found in most rat and mice baits, bromethalin affects the central nervous system, causing paralysis leading to death. Rodents consume a lethal dose of fast-acting bromethalin in one feeding, which means less bait is needed for rodent population reduction After consuming a lethal dose, rodents cease feeding. Death occurs two days following consumption of bromethalin. Secondary toxicity is not a threat with bromethalin. ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516/11 "2005-11-24T03:32:06Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > At the warehouse I used to work at had a serious rat problem (as do all warehouses on the river). We used a LOT of glue traps. > > One day one of the guys found a trap with two-and-a-half rats on it. > > One of the rats had started eating his trapped companion. Though he probably was eating his companion because he was starving, it’s not uncommon for mice and rats to cannibalize their fallen mischief-mates (or cagemates as the case may be.) Arguably it’s because the dead one nearby will attract predators. But it happens even in captivity with animals kept as pets. It could’ve just been instinct since the other one died first. ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516/12 "2005-11-24T06:32:42Z")
If you absolutely have to kill a mouse, snap-traps are at least quick. Glue traps are very cruel. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516/13 "2005-11-24T07:01:31Z")
I still use good, old-fashioned spring traps. I bait them with peanut butter. I caught a mouse just the other day. He was a tiny guy and the trap caught him above the hips, so I assume it was a slow, unpleasant death. I feel bad for it, I would have preferred a clean crushing of the cervical vertibrae, but what could I do? I’m not going to put up with him pooping all over my dish towels and oven mits while he feasts out of my dog’s bowl. ---
**Author:** ![Baine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Baine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baine)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516/14 "2005-11-24T09:06:30Z")
We put glue traps out during the summer because we were having trouble with brown recluses. A few weeks ago I overheard a mouse which had gotten one of its legs stuck in a glue trap. I tried to free the mouse but the stupid thing bit my finger and would not let go until I pulled it off. The mouse got away and that evening I got rid of the rest of my glue traps. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516/15 "2005-11-24T14:23:29Z")
Please note folks that I am not trapping any animals at all - heck I wasn’t even in the same house of the man who was doing the trapping. I was simply trying to answer a question that my boss posed to me. (Actually my boss’ boss) ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-glue-traps-cause-of-death/332516/16 "2005-11-24T14:58:05Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I think they just starve or die of thirst if you leave them for a few days. Some get their mouth caught in the glue and sophicate. I use glue traps and the mice are always alive when I catch them. I caught a live one (RIP) just two days ago. No disrespect intended, but that would be _suffocate_.