On 20 June 2019, as part of an ongoing petition by campaigners to ban the sale and use of glue traps, the Pest Management Alliance (PMA) were invited to give evidence to the Scottish Parliament Public Petitions Committee.
The petition was lodged by campaign group Let’s Get MAD for Wildlife, and is looking for a ban similar to countries like Ireland and New Zealand.
As members of the PMA, BPCA and our members were represented by the Association’s technical manager Dee Ward-Thompson.
Dee was joined by Tom Bell of the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland and John Hope of the National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA).
Tom opened by acknowledging that the PMA is sensitive to the potential for distress caused by glue traps, but that informed decisions needed to be reached about how public health could still be protected.
Two points that the committee wanted to focus on was the proposal put forward by the petitioners for the Code of Best Practice to be revised and a new training course on using glue traps to be included as part of that.
Dee confirmed that these were both under consultation, however it was highlighted that training on the use of glue boards is already covered by the Royal Society for Public Health Level 2 Award in Pest Management.
A big concern for the committee was that the Code of Best Practice were only applicable to members of BPCA and NPTA (PMA members) and that these guidelines would not necessarily be followed, even by members.
However, John assured the committee that members are held to the highest standards, saying:
“...the Code of Best Practice has been around for a number of years, and it is well entrenched within the pest control industry. We have a robust system for dealing with complaints on anything that comes to us with regard to our members.”
It was agreed on all sides that amateur use of glue boards is a pressing issue and that ideally only pest controllers - who are members of either BPCA or NPTA - would be permitted to use them.
John spoke very strongly about the inclusion of glue traps in a pest controller’s armoury as an important last resort, citing that in his 30 years in the industry he has used them less than a dozen times.
He also expressed confidence in both NPTA and BPCA members capacity for wanting to prevent any unnecessary suffering when carrying out pest control.
The committee agreed that amateur use is a big concern which needs addressing and concluded the evidence hearing by requesting a copy of the redrafted Code of Best Practice within the next three months.
“Although controversial, the humane use of glue traps by a pest management professional can be a vital tool to protect public health and safety,” says Dee.
“We were pleased to be given the opportunity to present evidence to Scottish Parliament on behalf of our members.”
If you have any questions about glue traps or the current PMA Codes of Practice, email technical@bpca.org.uk
Source: Online