Pest control often involves prolonged suffering for rodents and other animals. Humane alternatives exist that are often equally effective and avoid welfare-compromising approaches.
Pest control welfare is an area where widely available alternatives to cruel methods exist but are not widely adopted. Glue traps - which trap animals and allow prolonged death from dehydration, stress, and injury - are banned in several countries as unnecessarily cruel when effective humane alternatives exist. Anticoagulant rodenticides cause prolonged suffering and create secondary poisoning risks for raptors and other predators. Snap traps cause rapid death when properly placed and maintained. Exclusion - preventing pest access rather than killing pest animals - addresses the root cause without welfare compromise. Building management practices that make exclusion a priority represent the highest-welfare approach.