Rt Hon Steve Reed MP

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
steve.reed.mp@parliament.uk

 

Subject: Support for BPCA’s Open Letter on the Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022

 

Dear Rt Hon Steve Reed MP,

On behalf of the National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA), we write to fully endorse the British Pest Control Association’s (BPCA) open letter regarding the shortcomings of the Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 and the urgent need for reform.

The NPTA represents pest professionals across the United Kingdom, working daily to protect public health, food safety, and animal welfare to the highest standards.

The Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 was introduced with the vital aim of improving animal welfare by restricting the use of glue traps to licensed pest controllers.

However, the legislation and the licensing scheme operated by Natural England under the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)  has failed to deliver on this intention.

Instead, it has created a situation where:

• Public education and enforcement are severely lacking: There has been little effort to inform retailers or the public of the restrictions. Freedom of Information responses show key enforcement agencies have received no specific training.
• Glue traps remain easily accessible: Despite the restrictions, glue traps are still widely available online and in stores, allowing continued amateur use.
• Labelling loopholes are undermining the law: It has become common for online sellers to mislabel rodent glue boards as “large insect glue boards” to circumvent the ban. In practice, these products are identical to mouse or rat glue traps and continue to be used illegally for rodent control by untrained individuals
• Illegal and inhumane use is rising: Pest professionals are increasingly encountering illegal use of glue traps, while untrained individuals use them without proper supervision, leading to significant animal welfare breaches.
• Professional compliance is being penalised: Qualified pest controllers who adhere to high welfare standards are burdened with a costly, impractical licensing process, while unregulated misuse persists.
• Public health risks are increasing: Delayed or ineffective pest management due to licensing restrictions is leading to unmanaged infestations in sensitive environments, with serious implications for public health.
• The cost of compliance is prohibitive: The operational demands of the current licensing scheme, including requirements such as overnight supervision are financially unsustainable for many clients and businesses, leaving pest issues unresolved.

We therefore strongly support the BPCA’s call for urgent action, and ask that DEFRA and Natural England:

1. Ban the sale of glue traps to the public to eliminate amateur misuse.
2. Launch a national public awareness campaign to inform retailers and the public about the legal restrictions and penalties.
3. Strengthen enforcement efforts with properly resourced and trained agencies to uphold the law.
4. Expand professional licensing access to allow responsible, humane use by accredited pest control companies.
5. Revise the licensing scheme to be affordable and practical, removing unnecessary barriers to compliance without compromising animal welfare standards.

Professional pest control plays a vital role in protecting communities.

Without urgent changes, the Act risks continuing to punish legitimate, compliant businesses while allowing widespread unregulated harm to animal welfare and public health.

The NPTA stands ready to work with DEFRA, Natural England, the British Pest Control Association and other stakeholders to ensure that reform delivers the intended outcomes.

We respectfully urge you to act now to address these critical failings.

Yours sincerely,

Kevin Lawrenson

Chief Executive Officer
National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA)