Rodent pest control is widespread but often conducted with methods that cause significant suffering - more humane approaches can achieve effective control with less animal suffering.
Pest control welfare is rarely discussed but involves significant animal suffering at scale. Glue traps are particularly problematic - they are widely sold but cause prolonged, severe suffering that would be considered unacceptable if applied to any other animal. Rodenticides cause internal bleeding over multiple days - both the target animal and predators that consume poisoned rodents (owls, foxes, kestrels) suffer. Welfare-conscious pest control prioritises exclusion first (stop animals entering), then rapid-kill traps maintained correctly, then other methods. This is not just a moral position - pest controllers increasingly recognise that integrated pest management with lower suffering approaches is often more cost-effective than repeated toxic baiting.