Glue traps are one of the cruelest methods of pest control. The animal’s desperate struggle to escape the trap causes injuries and fractures. Many animals chew their limbs in order to free themselves. If the traps are not checked frequently and the animal is not killed quickly, the suffering can last for more than a day until death puts an end to it. Glue traps are not selective – lizards, birds and kittens can also be caught in glue traps and die in prolonged agony.
Due to the cruelty of glue traps, several countries, including England, Iceland, Ireland, Finland and two states in Australia, have banned or restricted the use of glue traps.
In Israel, attempts to enact a law that would ban the use of glue traps began as early as 2011. Similar proposals were submitted in 2013, 2015, and 2022. In 2023, the bills by MK Yasmin Friedman and MK Kati Shitrit were merged, and the combined bill passed a preliminary vote.
Initially, the proposal included a complete ban on the use of glue traps (as well as foot traps), with no exceptions. However, in the first discussion in the Knesset Education Committee, in preparation for the first vote, it was clear that without the exclusion of exterminators (as well as workers from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and municipal veterinarians, who generally do not use traps of this type) the bill would not be able to move forward, in light of the opposition of the Pest Division of the Ministry of Environmental Protection. After several discussions in the Education Committee, the bill was forwarded to the Knesset and passed the first vote out of three.
In light of disagreements between the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture regarding responsibility for implementing the law, meetings were held with professionals in an attempt to reach a solution. After it appeared that they had reached an agreement, a discussion was scheduled to prepare the bill for a second and third vote, but the Ministry of Agriculture did not agree to the drafting changes that it allegedly supported.
In 2016, the law on the Regulation of the Practice of Sanitary Pest Control was enacted. The law grants several authorities to the Minister of Environmental Protection, including determining pesticide products and ‘means of treatment’ whose use is permitted only to licensed exterminators. Additionally, the law requires the minister to establish, within three years (which have already passed), regulations that will deal, among other issues, with ‘provisions regarding the selection of means that are less harmful to the environment, animals or public health’.
In 2017, the ‘Transparent Walls’ NGO has filed a petition to the Supreme Court, requesting that it to oblige the then Minister of Environmental Protection to prohibit the import, manufacture, distribution, sale and use of glue traps, while referring to the definition of a “registered pesticide”.
The court rejected the petition and ruled that glue traps do not meet the definition of a ‘pesticide’. In addition, the court noted that the law establishes a framework for regulating the use of certain means of treatment, a framework that could be appropriate for glue traps.
In the petition we filed this November to the Supreme Court, we asked it to oblige the Minister to establish glue traps as a ‘mean of treatment’ that is only permitted for licensed exterminators, and to fulfill her legal obligation and establish regulations regarding the selection of less harmful pest control methods for animals, as well as regarding their use.
It is true that the use of glue traps is cruel even when used by licensed exterminators. The existing law does not allow for a complete ban on their use. In addition, establishing binding regulations for exterminators regarding the manner in which the traps are used may reduce the harm. Additionally, exterminators are regularly under the supervision of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and may be subject to sanctions if they use the trap improperly. Either way, it is clear that even if their use cannot be completely prohibited, the use of glue traps must be significantly limited.
