Glue trap update – Scotland
The Wildlife and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 is due to come into force on the 1st July 2026. This will make the use of glue traps and boards illegal to use in Scotland for vertebrate animals. This includes offences for taking, restraining, killing or causing injury to an animals, all of these would be deemed illegal. Invertebrate animals are not included in this legislation therefore, the trapping of insects, spiders and woodlice (or standard monitoring glue traps) is still acceptable. But any animal, whether protected such as birds, reptiles, mammals, or pest animals that glue traps were used routinely for management of will now become illegal.
The Act also expands on this further than the Glue Trap (Offences) Act 2022 currently in force in England where it is illegal to use a glue board or trap for any animal but does allow some users with adequate training to apply for a license. In Scotland, there are no plans to introduce a licensing scheme to allow the use of glue traps if there was a significant risk to human health or national security from rodent infestations. We foresee this being a permanent condition.
Furthermore, the possession of glue traps will also become illegal, therefore by July 1st 2026 we recommend those who have stock of glue traps to render them useless and unable to catch an animal on. If you do dispose of them, please ensure they are not going to lead to animals being caught on the boards accidentally. Think about the chain of waste and where these boards could end up and think logically about their disposal.
After 1st July 2026 it will also be illegal to supply or offer to supply glue traps of others so do plan ahead with any glue traps you may still have in your possession.
Those who are found using glue boards, in possession of them or offering to sell them can be convicted and ordered to pay a fine up to £40,000 and/ or imprisonment for a term up to 12 months. In serious cases, a person could face conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to a fine (or both).
