We have an on again, off again mouse problem in our house. My wife likes to use glue traps because she hates the idea of poison or “those nasty snap traps.” The trouble is glue traps are a mess. The dog has gotten into them more than once and I even got the glue all over a good pair of shoes (that’s another story). I read about some way that you can easily get the glue off but I don’t remember the details. Can you help? D.D., Dunbarton, NH

Sure, it’s not a trade secret and is actually very simple. Just dissolve the glue with oil. Use a nontoxic food or cosmetic-grade oil such as corn oil, olive oil, baby oil, mineral oil, or even smooth peanut butter. WD40 would probably work, too, in a pinch but shouldn’t be your first choice on skin.

Use Cooking Oil to Dissolve the Glue!

You probably already know that the more a child or pet struggles against a glue trap, the more stuck they will become. Slowly pull the glue trap off of the person, pet, or object. Dab oil on the glue residue remaining and let it sit for a few minutes to dissolve the glue. If you can’t easily remove the trap, saturate the attached area, trap and all, with oil and let it sit.

After the glue has softened, use a dry cloth to rub the area to remove the glue. Repeat if needed, then wash with soap and water. The process is pretty much the same for glue on hair (or shoes!). To remove glue from clothing, place the item in a freezer. When the glue is frozen, simply peel it off. For more details, see How to Unstick Your Child (or Your Pet) From a Mouse Glue Trap. It’s not recommended that you try to unstick a trapped mouse, it almost certainly won’t survive the process.

Place Glue Traps Inside a Protective Station

An obvious way to prevent accidental glue incidents is to place the glue trap inside a protective station so only mice can reach it. Our technicians usually place glue or snap traps inside tamper-resistant bait or trap stations. If you can’t place the traps in a place where people or pets can’t possibly reach them such as under a refrigerator, then place them inside a plastic or cardboard bait station. The mouse will still go into the station through the opening. In fact, the dark space inside the bait station is more enticing to the mouse. Using a bait station also protects the glue trap from dust and moisture and shields the view of the dead or dying mouse.

Give Colonial Pest a call. We can certainly come up with a more effective  mouse control program that will satisfy everyone in the household and will be virtually invisible. Our experts often integrate different control methods in different sites. And we always address the source of the problem, looking for and sealing up places that mice are using to get inside your home to provide a permanent solution. Our work is guaranteed and we promise that you won’t get stuck if you call us!

See also Pros and Cons of Using Glue Traps for Mice.

Photo Credit : By User:SB_Johnny – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, wikipedia