How to Free a Mouse From a Glue Trap

Glue traps cause mice to suffer a slow, terrible death.

Few things are more heartbreaking than witnessing a mouse suffer on a glue trap. According to in Defense of Animals (IDA), glue traps are inhumane as they cause trapped mice to pull out their hair, bite off their legs, defecate and urinate heavily on themselves, suffocate, starve or become dehydrated. Mice that become stuck on glue traps usually take anywhere from three to five days to die. Remove mice from glue traps with the help of a basic home staple or commodity.

Things You'll Need

• Sanitary gloves
• Vegetable or baby oil
• Cotton swabs
• Box
• Water
• Peanut butter

Instructions

1. Place sanitary gloves on your hands and take the glue trap, containing the captured mouse, outside. According to Washington State University, mice carry and transmit a wide variety of diseases and parasites, such as fleas, mites and worms.

2. Pour a small amount of vegetable or baby oil onto the glue trap. The vegetable or baby oil works as a solvent to loosen the glue's hold on the animal. Allow the oil to soak onto the glue trap for a few minutes.

3. Douse a cotton swab with vegetable or baby oil and slowly and gently dab the swab on and around the specific area or areas where the critter's body is attached to the glue trap. Gently work the swab under the rodent's body and slowly lift it up and off the glue trap.

4. Release the mouse back into the wild or place it in a safe, secure location, such as a box, until it's properly healed or rested. Provide the mouse with plenty of water and peanut butter in case it's severely dehydrated or starved.

Tips & Warnings

• Take the glue trap, containing the stuck mouse, to your local veterinarian or wildlife rehabilitator if you're not able to free the mouse from the trap yourself.

• Immediately stop using the cotton swab if the mouse squeals or appears to faint, as it could become too excited or frightened and die as a result.

• Avoid releasing the mouse in an area with high pedestrian or vehicular traffic, as the mouse may be struck and killed. Release the mouse into a forest or woodland area instead.

References

• In Defense of Animals (IDA): Glue Trap Facts
• Washington State University: Rats & Mice
• University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program: House Mouse