Oh No!! Dad’s in trouble. Mom told him not to place those mouse glue traps where the kids could reach them. Now we have a 4 year-old who is freaking out because he has a glue trap stuck on his arm and a mother who is freaking out because she doesn’t know what to do to get it off. The package might have had instructions, but that’s long gone. She’s tried soapy water and rubbing alcohol but that’s just made a mess! Meanwhile, the screaming continues…

Too bad Mom doesn’t know how really easy (and painless) it is to remove a mouse glue board or sticky trap. It’s as simple as cooking oil – honestly, that’s the antidote. And if you don’t have cooking oil at hand, almost any other type of food or pharmaceutical-grade oil such as mineral oil or baby oil will work.

THE CURE REQUIRES OIL AND A LITTLE TIME

If the trap isn’t stuck too tightly, you might be able to gently pull the trap off of the child, but then you still need to get rid of that sticky glue that remains. In either case, you can: (1) saturate the glue area by dabbing it with a cloth soaked in the oil of choice, or (2) slowly pour cooking oil over the trap glue or, (3) spray the glue with cooking oil in a pressurized can. Let the oil sit for several minutes to soften the glue while reassuring the tiny victim that this method really will work.

Finally, completely remove the trap and using a dry cloth, rub the oiled area to remove the softened glue residue. Repeat the process if necessary. Then wash the skin (or hair) with soap and warm water to remove the leftover oil. By the way, I understand that this method works for getting chewing gum out of hair, too.

If your situation is a little different and you have trap glue on clothing, or upholstered furniture, or the family pet, check out this blog for more information on how to deal with those scenarios: How to Unstick Your Child (or Your Pet) From a Mouse Glue Trap.

This unfortunate drama could have been avoided if Dad had placed the glue trap inside a cardboard or metal trap station or bait station designed so that mice can reach the trap but little hands cannot. Or, Dad could have picked up the phone and called Colonial Pest. Our technicians know where and how to safely place rodent traps and Dad wouldn’t be in the doghouse! Call Colonial!