Pest control kills hundreds of millions of animals annually in the UK - welfare of target species during lethal control and non-lethal alternative methods are important considerations.
Pest control welfare operates on a vast, largely invisible scale. The billions of pest control events annually affect animal welfare significantly, yet receive minimal public or regulatory attention. Glue traps represent a particularly egregious welfare failure - now banned in England but still used elsewhere. Best practice pest control minimises welfare harm through professional application of most humane methods, minimising rodenticide use, and proofing buildings to prevent reinfestations. Consumer demand for humane pest control and local authority procurement standards that exclude the most harmful methods are important levers for improvement.