I caught a mouse in a glue trap. this was supposed to be a roach trap. the poor little field mouse legs and tail was stuck on the glue. I tried to free him but i could not. It was heartbreaking. I ended up smothering him to be as humane as possible. If you ever witnessed this, you would NEVER buy a glue trap again.

Posted by: judy | January 31, 2008 03:45 PM

It is an urgent topic to persuade the people that such kind of horrific methods to exterminate animals is more than cruel: it's criminal! how can a human being be so heart- and ruthless using this condemnable stuff! just some days ago i had the lovely chance to save a pretty mouse in my cellar because she could not get out of a tube and she looked at me so gratefully! why can't people just share their lives with all the other living beings without making war against them and without extermination! if somebody doesn't like mice or rats there is a very easy possibility to get rid of them without killing them: they can't stand the smell of peppermint! but me i don't send them away - i give them some goodies and like this they don't go out in the night because there are predators in the garden waiting for them! it's a pity that all the living beings have always to be afraid of humans - we are actually living east of Eden - too bad for humans because they are missing so much wonderful things on other living beings! so the human is the most primitive of all - always war - war - war - war towards every other lifeform! utterly stupid and ignorant - and light years away from being a complete lovely being!!!

Posted by: FREE BURMA | January 31, 2008 04:08 PM

This is disgusting.
The poor animal suffers a prolonged painful frightening death in glue traps!
Live traps are the best way to remove unwelcome animals visitor with out pain and suffering and relocate them in a safe place, and if there are more than one being removed they should be relocated in the same place so they can remain in the family unit if possible.
With mice we wait till spring and then trap and relocate them so they dont suffer looking for a warm place to live during the winter months and have a better chance to survive in the spring weather in the woods. If we trap a nursing mother we let her go and re-trap later when her baby's are old enough to be relocated with the unit.
The people who buy these traps should be told just how awful they are and not be told that its a clean way to dispose of the problem.
The company that makes these traps should be stopped from producing them.

Posted by: Peace to You | January 31, 2008 04:17 PM

man you would think after all of those pharmacy stores stopped selling glue traps, and after home depot (Lowe's biggest competitor) stopped selling them that Lowes would follow...i guess the Officers and Owners of Lowe’s really have no idea what they are in for....idiots.

Posted by: Sarah | January 31, 2008 04:17 PM

Let's see if Lowe's responds quickly to this action alert, much like Lukoil did (though they certainly can't beat 2 hours!).

Send those alerts folks!

Posted by: Michele | January 31, 2008 04:21 PM

There are so many stores (Target included) that are selling glue traps. Why go after just one in particular? I have been after my local Target store to remove glue traps for months, and they have pretty much told me to go %^-ck myself. I'd like to see PETA going after ALL stores that carry glue-traps.

Posted by: Jim | January 31, 2008 04:46 PM

Live traps, if need be, are the only way to go!! The only real way to reduce rodents in your home and/or work place is void open holes in foundation and outside walls and the obvious "Don't leave food out in open areas"! Night time is when they are most active, so do what you can so you can avoid close in counters and AVOID calling you're local exterminators!!

Posted by: Carla | January 31, 2008 04:50 PM

I always tell people that if they're going to buy anything other than humane traps (and some people just won't), at least stay away from the glue ones. Those are the worst.

Posted by: Canaduck | January 31, 2008 05:25 PM

Jim, PETA has been going after the glue traps for the last couple years. They started with Wal Greens then Rite Aid, Home Depot and now Lowes, and probably after Lowes ends their selling they will probably go after Target, unless they are already working with target, you never know, but before i continue my rant what i am saying is they have been going after other stores, not just one.

Posted by: Sarah | January 31, 2008 05:39 PM

Great LOL mouse, he's adorable.

The best "trap" is sealing up your house so they can't get in. Sadly my indoor cats get the ones who get in but we always look for the opening and fix the problem.

Humane traps are nice but they just come right back in.

Posted by: Maya, C.V.T. | January 31, 2008 05:57 PM

I wrote to Lowe's, and their response was not very hopeful. They have no intentions of pulling glue traps from their shelves. Please don't support cruel products or Lowe's.

Posted by: Melissa | January 31, 2008 07:00 PM

How can people be so cruel? mice and rats are forms of life, yet humans can't stand them? what is wrong with them? they have never done anything to hurt us, yet we still what to hurt them because we think they are "gross". Its wrong. Its cruel. they are NOT gross in any way, accually their probably very clean! DEAL WITH IT PEOPLE! can't we just look at a creature that is smaller than us and call them cute and inocent? why torture them like this? All they want is to stay warm for a night and eat some food, but people jsut have the crazy urge to kill them. Mice and rats are smaller then us but most of us can't see anything "cute" about them!!!!!! ITS JUST, PLAIN, CRUEL!

Posted by: Anonymous | January 31, 2008 07:38 PM

Jim, stop your frigging whining and do something about it.

PETA "goes after" hundreds if not thousands of companies and individuals every year regarding the various animal rights issues. They got Target to stop selling foie gras, they got Pepsi and Coca Cola to stop doing animal testing, they got numerous large factory-farming companies to make changes so that the animals will be treated more humanely, they got Denny's to stop sponsoring the Ringling Bros. circus.

But Jim, you are clearly the kind of person who will NEVER be happy with any of PETA's work. PETA is not some massive corporation (contrary to what some people think - and for those who think that way, check out their financial statement, some huge companies spend that much on office supplies, and you should check out these companies' Public Relations budgets - fucking massive!) so they do not have endless amounts of money and time to deal with every possible issue as they arise. PETA also relies on its members and supporters to get active, to organize petitions, letter writing, leafletting, and demonstrations.

So again, quit whining (or whingeing - right Jack?) and start writing letters to Target headquarters - and get your friends to join in.

Every victory counts - look at all of the stores that NO LONGER sell glue traps because of the pressure from PETA and animal rights activists.

I guess I am the "glass half full" kind of person though...

Posted by: Michele | January 31, 2008 09:44 PM

We now know how many are sold from EPA. EPA is going to restrict the rodenticides severly -market data indicates about 9 million dollars is spent on traps-At about one trap per dollar-and lets assume One glue trap is a dollar and they are 40% of the market -Who sells the most? Lets go after them.
I have bought a lot from Lowes and will remind them in my note

Posted by: David | February 1, 2008 12:05 AM

Lowe's is stupid.
Case dismissed.

Posted by: Amber Falobas | February 1, 2008 09:17 AM

Here is the disgusting reply I got from Lowe's.

..."Thank you for your comments regarding glue traps.

As you know rodent control is an important concern for homeowners and business owners, and we have a responsibility to provide the products our customers need. Because not every product is right for every situation, Lowe’s carries more than 20 different rodent control products, including traps, poisons and electronic repellers, so the customer may choose the one that best suits their needs.

Thank you again for your input on this issue..."

And here is my reply:

..."How about your company making the ethical decision to sell ethical and humane products? There are plenty of compassionate companies out there that have removed glue traps from their shelves and those are the companies that will get my business. I will also make sure I pass the word around about Lowe’s lack of compassion for animals when choosing what products to carry.
Rodents can feel pain just as much as any other animal. There are plenty of humane ways to deal with rodents without resorting to lethal or torturous devices.

I will not shop at Lowe’s again until you do the right thing and remove these disgusting traps from your shelves.

Regards,..."

Posted by: Marcy | February 1, 2008 09:38 AM

If you don't like them.....DON'T BUY THEM!
No sales, no profits, no profits....no Traps! Weird how capitalism works eh?

Posted by: Arrrg! | February 1, 2008 02:39 PM

Here's the bottom line: A company is only going to remove a product if it believes that it stands to gain more business by removing the product than by carrying it (or, in the converse, lose more business by keeping the product than it gets by selling that product.) If most other major chains no longer carry glue traps yet there is still a market demand for them, then Lowe's is coming out on top. So Lowe's most likely won't respond to a few thousand people saying they won't shop there again (especially without being sure that most of those people actually spent much money at Lowe's in the first place.) If the demand for glue traps goes down enough, though, then Lowe's might respond to a few thousand possibly lost customers angry over glue traps.

It seems like the biggest problem here is that there is still a demand for the product. I don't understand why there's a demand for the messiest form of trap, but apparently there is.

Posted by: Ashes | February 1, 2008 03:34 PM

I understand that "Glue" is painful, cruel and ugly, but is it not much safer to our household pets vs the toxic mouse/rat traps that they eat then die searching for water? I cannot fathom how painful it would be to have my cat in that state of pain. Unfortunately, rodents in certain parts of the US do carry deadly viruses to humans; not all of them are cute and cuddly. Have you ever been bitten by a mouse and had your finger go numb - not a great feeling and if you handle rodents frequently, you will get bitten frequently, and then you have an extremely high chance of becoming violently ill with one bite, far worse than anaphylactic shock, more likely cardiac arrest. There is a high pitched noise device that is used by those who care in public places such as restaurants, which humans cannot hear and the rodents do not come around. It just takes the time to search for the proper solution, as it is not healthy for humans to have restaurants, rodents, and food combined.

Posted by: Michelle | February 1, 2008 04:27 PM

I don't believe in these traps, they are just not humane! I agree with Michelle saying that it is unsafe for rodents' germs to be combined with food to be served to other people. Can't there just be a way to keep them out of a home? being the owner of two cats, we have not gotten many mice. Mice and rats know by the smell of the cats when they can't enter a house, and unless you are allergic, there shouldn't be any reason to hate cats. the small rodents shouldn't have to suffer like this though. I remember before we had cats we used the humane traps where they enter and can't exit. At one point we had mice and it was chilly out side, and I felt wrong having to force them outside, so we kept them in a large aquariam (with out water, of course!)and lined it with my hamster's bedding. We provided the three mice with food and water let them out about a week later when it was warm enough out. Even though we couldn't touch the mice, it was nice knowing that the mice wern't killed by us using traps. Glue traps are just wrong! they shouldn't be used and Lowes is a terrible company for not taking htem off the shelves.

Posted by: Anonymous | February 1, 2008 05:20 PM

This is what the idiots responded me with:

"Thank you for your comments regarding glue traps.

As you know rodent control is an important concern for homeowners and business owners, and we have a responsibility to provide the products our customers need. Because not every product is right for every situation, Lowe’s carries more than 20 different rodent control products, including traps, poisons and electronic repellers, so the customer may choose the one that best suits their needs.

Thank you again for your input on this issue."

I agree with 'Arrg!', they will not stop until there no longer is a demand for it, which means the people have to stop buying them. There has to be another CHEAPER more humane way to rid rodents than this.

Posted by: Damn it! | February 1, 2008 05:37 PM

This is the lowest and the most cruel way to kill any kind of animal, insect or wherever with eyes. PLEASE STOP THIS CRUELTY!, how can people like that exist in this world? (and everything always is the MONEY).

Posted by: jessica | February 1, 2008 10:50 PM

I've used live traps with great success in my home (the ones sold by PETA and at veganstore.com) You just have to be sure to take the mice at least a mile away from your home to release them. (I always look for an area with sheltering plants, and leave some food and bedding material with the mice.)

If you discover a mouse or other animal caught in a glue trap, simply pour vegetable around them to loosen the glue and gently push them off the trap with a spoon or pencil.

One question--does anyone know for sure if Home Depot is still selling glue traps? I read that they said they'd stop selling them in 1997, but have since brought them back. Any updates?

Posted by: Amy | February 2, 2008 07:59 AM

Lowe's response to the email is basically, "Who cares?"

Posted by: Kelley | February 2, 2008 11:02 AM

there exists some chemicals to negate glue. (they arent lethal or anything)

Posted by: Caboose | February 2, 2008 12:24 PM

i like to see them run around with the glue traps on them it makes them easier to shoot with a bb gun.

Posted by: john | February 2, 2008 10:31 PM

Did anyone get this response when they replied to Lowe's?

Subject: RE: Stop Selling Glue Traps
Date: Sun, 3 Feb 2008 13:15:07 -0500
From: "Contact Center" Contact.Center@Lowes.com

NOTICE:
All information in and attached to the e-mail(s) below may be proprietary, confidential, privileged and otherwise protected from improper or erroneous disclosure. If you are not the sender's intended recipient, you are not authorized to intercept, read, print, retain, copy, forward, or disseminate this message. If you have erroneously received this communication, please notify the sender immediately by phone (704-758-1000) or by e-mail and destroy all copies of this message (electronic, paper, or otherwise). Thank you.

Thank you for contacting Lowe’s to call to our attention the error in our holiday catalog.

You may already be aware that Lowe’s has apologized for the advertising error. We understand the confusion created when we headlined the page of Christmas trees “family trees”. The error was not caught before the publication was distributed and we are disappointed in the breakdown in our own creative process.

Lowe’s is committed to selling Christmas trees, as we have done for more than 60 years. And, we refer to the trees as Christmas trees in all television and magazine ads and in Lowe’s advertising flyers.

We will redouble our efforts to proof our catalogs in the future to prevent this issue from recurring.

We appreciate your understanding.

Posted by: Stacey | February 3, 2008 01:32 PM

Stacey, I got the same email back from Lowe's when I tried responding to their useless form letter about having to be "responsible" to provide products to their customer (the same form letter that a few commenters mentioned above). It looks like some sort of auto-reply email, but obviously it has nothing to do with the issue of glue traps. I say they are a pretty useless company all around!

Posted by: Michele | February 4, 2008 12:06 PM

Hi Stacy,
That's their generic response, we all go it...

Posted by: Peace to You | February 4, 2008 12:33 PM

I hope you post this rather than just ignoring the other side.

Nothing could be more natural than glue traps. What happens in nature to animals? They are either eaten or they starve.

What do you want? Poison is bad. Traps that snap on the animal are bad. Everything that actually works is bad according to you people! It's so easy to be judgmental when you live in a clean first world country where an entire neighborhood is clean.

You try living in a city in Thailand or some other third world country and see if you can keep your apartment or house clean enough to keep mice out. Sometimes you PETA fools go too far. Humane mouse traps! What a laugh. Human dwellings provide a 'natural' habitat for mice no matter how clean they are. You have garbage cans where you throw food. Mice can chew through paneling and live in the walls. And they leave their disease-causing crap everywhere.

I've used glue traps for years now and they goddamn work is what they do. Mice are not endangered. They are important to the ecosystem but we DO NOT have to spare them at cost to ourselves. They will be around after humans have died out for god's sake. And animals get stuck and starved in nature ALL THE TIME. That or they get violently killed and eaten BY OTHER ANIMALS.

Posted by: Drang Fick | February 4, 2008 06:09 PM

Drang Fick: Hey you are unable to live in peace with other living beings on this planet - then i hope that you shall go to hell as soon as the devil takes you=====

Posted by: Drang Fuck | February 6, 2008 09:55 AM

Eugenol? Is this enough?

Posted by: Peace to You | February 7, 2008 12:31 PM

If you say that glue traps are so inhumane, why dont you complain about standard mouse traps. THEY BREAK THIER NECKS AND BACK PEOPLE! If thats not inhumane, then I dont know what is. I'm sorry but if you want mice in your house and dont mind diseases, go ahead and live with feces all over your house. Just wait until that mouse eat a hole in your electrical wires and you have to spend a few thousand dollars to fix it. Its called population control people.

Posted by: anonymous | February 10, 2008 12:38 AM

Thank you drang fick & others. Mice & rats are dirty disease bearing rodents. Pretty soon PETA will forbid us from swatting mosquitos w/ malaria because they have a right to life too!!! By the way, PETA kills animals; two employees of theirs were caught dumping the bodies of cats & dogs they killed in their van in a public dumpster. PETA's agenda is NOT animal welfare but banishing human/animal interaction forever. If everyone went vegan overnite, we would all starve; there is not enough land on the planet that can support food crops. Animals eat inedible plants & we eat them. That's the way it is. I dare you to post this.

Posted by: meanjean | February 13, 2008 04:22 PM

anon, breaking necks in mouse traps is a fast and painless end. Even the worst outcome is not as bad as mice dislocating joints in a futile effort to escape during the hours until the "trapper" happens to be alerted by screams of pain, or worse-stench.
Or you could adopt a cat.

meanjean, technically you could well be right, an overnight change to veganism would be a major strain on food resources. The grain stockpiles would somehow have to be converted into edible products and the farmers will have to change crops from low quality feed grains to milling quality, which will take time. I'm not sure what the by-products of oil seeds will be used for.
Fear not, there is currently enough farmland for everyone to go vegan. About half of the worlds grain goes to feed livestock and we still have enough to build ethanol factories.
I don't know about in future though(oddly enough) as the population is supposed to peak around 9 billion people by 2050-2100. And they don't want the rice and rice diet their parents had, so that will reqire a doubling of food. We may well require those pastures that grow on land unsuitable for cropping to be converted into meat.
The biggest impediment to all turning vegan is that many cultures don't have much in the way of cropping, and depend on their livestock.[That or the 1 billion people worldwide whose livelihoods depend on raising livestock]

Posted by: rojo | February 14, 2008 09:30 AM

Glue traps are annoying to me too, I got a fly trap and my finger was stuck to it and it ripped off a layer of skin and ripped out hair it also rips their hair out ouch...

Posted by: geoff | February 14, 2008 07:25 PM