Hardware giant Bunnings urged to strip popular product from shelves

The hardware giant is under pressure to strip a popular product from its shelves as a potential legal battle heats up.

Wildlife advocates want Bunnings to pull insect glue traps from its shelves. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

A legal argument could be mounted that the sale of insect glue traps at some Bunnings stores may be an offence, according to animal protection lawyers.

The Canberra-based Animal Defenders Office (ADO) studied the legality across Australia of the glue traps and said when it came to Victoria, the law was a “bit grey”.

The non-profit centre’s managing solicitor, volunteer Tara Ward, said it had considered the indoor pest glue trap, “The Buzz Indoor Pest Glue Trap”, sold by hardware retailer Bunnings.

Ms Ward said glue traps to catch insects could be sold in Victoria, as long as they were designed to prevent the capture of a vertebrate animal.

However, if the trap had been shown to catch an animal, it could be deemed an offence.

“Provided they are capable of trapping a vertebrate and there is evidence showing that they do, then in our view an argument could well be mounted that they are in breach of the legislation,” Ms Ward said.

“It would arguably be an offence to sell that contraption.”

Ninety thousand people have signed a petition calling on Bunnings to stop selling the glue traps, typically sold as small strips of adhesive paper to trap insects.

Wild Animals Australia said there were no known cases of vertebrates being caught on the insect traps in Victoria.

But the traps had inadvertently caught pets and native animals interstate, causing them pain and in some cases, death, whether left inside or outside.

The organisation’s Cat Coake called for a ban on the “cruel” traps.

“In light of this fresh legal advice, Bunnings must immediately take these horrific glue traps off their shelves,” she said.

A cockatiel caught on an insect glue trap in Queensland. The Buzz Indoor Pest Glue Trap not pictured. Picture: Toowoomba Koala and Wildlife Rescue

The ADO’s Ms Ward said any evidence of the traps capturing animals in Victoria would need to be presented to state animal protection regulators.

“This would require an enforcement agency that was interested in testing the limits of the law and developing the law and also one who, of course, would be funded to undertake such a prosecution,” she said.

“There would be no guarantee of success, but it’s something where the law needs to be tested.

“Provided there is the evidence then, on the face of it, there’s no reason why a prosecution couldn’t happen.”

Animal advocates want glue traps banned. The Buzz Indoor Pest Glue Trap not pictured. Picture: Wild Animals Australia

An example outside of Victoria of an animal becoming trapped. The Buzz Indoor Pest Glue Trap not pictured. Picture: Wild Animals Australia

Bunnings assessed its sticky trap products to ensure they complied with the law when legislation was last updated in Victoria in 2019.

The retailer had no evidence to suggest its “The Buzz Indoor Pest Glue Trap” was capable of trapping an animal.

“We do offer a range of insect control products, which includes smaller, sticky insect traps and non-sticky insect traps, such as the Yates Indoor fly trap, Envirosafe fly trap or Gepro Mile Bottle fly trap,” Bunnings’ general manager of merchandise, Adrian Pearce, said.

“Most of the sticky insect traps we offer are designed for indoor use only, and the product packaging clearly reflects this.”

The retailer said it continued to work with suppliers and regulators to ensure it was well informed on the products.

“We are satisfied that the products we sell in this category are compliant with the relevant legislation in Victoria when used in line with their intended purpose,” Mr Pearce said.

The retailer was understood to be working with suppliers to include extra information on the product’s packaging before the end of the year.