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On the 31st of July 2024, it became illegal to catch rodents using glue boards, unless
you hold the relevant license.

This change in the law states that glue board or glue trap usage is prohibited outdoors, and is only permitted in certain indoor locations if exceptional conditions are met, such as:

  • Rodent infestations in areas that pose a risk to public health and safety
  • All other methods of rodent control have failed or are not practical.

There are two types of glue trap licenses a pest controller can apply for:

Class Licence (CL53)

Legal authorization that confirms the holder has the authority to use glue traps when needed urgently and specific conditions are met that necessitate it.

Individual Licence (A15)

A single-use licence issued for a particular job, that is applied for when needed. This license enables glue trap usage for a specific problem at a specified site, within a given timeframe.

What is a Class License (CL53)?

Class licenses can be applied for at any time, and enable the specified holder to use glue traps; these licenses expire on the 31st December of the same year the license was issued.

You can view the licenses page on the government website by clicking here, or you can download the Class License application form by clicking here.

Where can you lay glue traps as a Class License holder?

Class licenses only permit glue trap use in specified indoor areas or in specific and time-critical circumstances:

  • Inside aircraft
  • Hospital surgery operating rooms / related areas needed for maintaining
    equipment
  • Inside critical infrastructure sites at imminent risk of fire or equipment failure

What must a Class License holder do at a job?

  • You must remain on-site while the traps are in use
  • Triggered traps must be responded to within 2 hours
  • Traps must be checked every 6 hours
  • You must name an emergency pest controller to act as a backup, who will
    remove traps if you are unable to
  • You must report to Natural England every time you use the licence

As a Class License holder, how do I report using glue traps?

Class license holders will be sent reporting forms by Natural England when their application is successful. You must fill in and return:

  • a ‘report of action’ within 5 working days every time you use your class licence on a job
  • an ‘annual report’ by 31 January, stating whether you want to renew your class licence registration the following year

What is an Individual License (A15)?

Individual licenses are applied for when a pest controller deems that glue boards are needed for a job. When issued, the license only permits glue traps to be used at one specific site and within a given timeframe.

When would you apply for an Individual License?

Individual licenses should only be applied for in situations that pose a large-scale risk to public health and safety. Some examples of situations that would necessitate the use of glue traps include infestations in

  • Hospitals, where there are large numbers of vulnerable people
  • Food manufacturing facilities with regional distribution
  • Laboratories where contamination risk has a nationally significant impact

Restaurants, hotels, pubs, takeaways and domestic properties are unlikely to be considered.

How do I apply for an Individual License?

To obtain an individual license, you will need to send a plan of the site showing:

  • The sites name
  • A red line boundary of the site within which glue traps will be used
  • Where glue traps will be placed within the site

You will also need to include with the form:

  • training certificates as evidence of your qualifications
  • A reference from a professional pest controller, if you have not held a licence
    in the past 3 years
  • Confirmation that you’ve visited the site where glue traps are to be placed,
    and you have permission from the site owner or occupier

You can view the licenses page on the government website by clicking here, or you can download the Individual License application form by clicking here.

As an Individual License holder, how do I report using glue traps?

When a job is complete, you must fill in and return the ‘Actions taken under A15 licence report’ within 14 days of the licence end date to describe what you did.

Click here to download the document.

References