NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 22: Non-toxic rodent glue traps and mechanical traps are displayed alongside chemical rodent-killing agents on the shelf of a hardware store on December 22, 2010 in New York City.
New Yorkers may soon lose one tool in their fight against rodents that many have used for years.
A new bill before New York lawmakers would ban the sale and use glue traps, as more and more people and animal advocacy groups view glue traps as unnecessarily cruel.
"Glue traps do not instantly kill the rodent; rather, they slowly die over the course of several days due to starvation, dehydration, and exhaustion," the bill reads. "The glue used is also extremely toxic, and burns the animals' skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. They will often rip off their own skin and fur, cause self-inflicted injuries, and chew their own limbs off trying to escape."
The bill also noted that the traps are less effective than others, like the common snap trap.
The legislation was sponsored by Brooklyn State Sen. Jabari Brisport and Assemblyman Harvey Epstein, who represents the east side of Manhattan.
“If you want an animal dead, there are lots of ways to do it, and torturing an animal to death isn’t the answer,” Epstein told the New York Times. “We don’t need to lose our humanity just because we don’t like having as many rodents in our midst as we currently do.”
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But opponents to the measure, including those working in the pest-control industry, believe it’s misguided, as they say there are far more cruel extermination methods. Additionally, glue traps are cheaper for professionals and amateurs than other options.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns against using glue traps because of possible exposure to disease from the trapped rodents.
According to the bill, trapped rodents will "urinate, defecate, or bleed which may contain germs that expose humans to diseases."
