Ann Arbor council gives final approval to a glue-trap ban that takes effect 60 days after publication

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — City Council gave final approval Monday, Oct. 19, to a ban on the sale and use of glue traps for animals in Ann Arbor, two weeks after giving the ordinance unanimous first approval, MLive reported.

The measure, ORD-26-28, came up for a public hearing and final action at the council’s 7 p.m. meeting. The city’s Legistar file now lists the ordinance as passed, with final action on Oct. 19.

The new Chapter 98 of the city code bans selling, displaying for sale, setting or using glue traps to capture or kill an animal in the city. The ordinance defines “animal” to include vertebrates and invertebrates such as birds, rodents and reptiles. It does not apply to insects or spiders, the staff memorandum says.

Violations are civil infractions. A first offense carries a fine of up to $250, and each later offense $250 to $500, MLive reported. The ban takes effect 60 days after the ordinance is published, according to the memorandum prepared by Senior Assistant City Attorney John W. Reiser.

The memo argues glue traps cause slow deaths from dehydration, starvation or blood loss and can catch pets and wildlife that were not the target. It cites advice against using the traps from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Sponsors listed on the file are Councilmembers Ayesha Ghazi Edwin, Erica Briggs, Jennifer Cornell, Dharma Akmon and Cynthia Harrison, and Mayor Christopher Taylor. Staff says the ordinance has no anticipated budget impact.

Council gave the ordinance first approval on Oct. 5. Snap traps and catch-and-release traps are still allowed under the ordinance, which targets adhesive boards used on animals other than insects and spiders.

Updated Oct. 20, 2026: City Council approved the glue-trap ban on Oct. 19, so this story now reports the final vote, the fine schedule for repeat offenses reported by MLive, and the ordinance’s passed status in the city’s Legistar file.

Sources:
City of Ann Arbor, Legistar File No. 26-1556 (ORD-26-28, Glue Trap Ban Ordinance), status Passed, final action Oct. 19, 2026, accessed Oct. 20, 2026, https://a2gov.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?GUID=79D076E1-A0D3-46B2-B8A0-CDADDB4AB6EF&ID=8238641
City of Ann Arbor, City Council meeting detail, Oct. 19, 2026, accessed Oct. 16, 2026, https://a2gov.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?GUID=BFC43A93-E348-44A6-8572-01FE36BF1FE6&ID=1368513&Options=info%7C&Search=
MLive, “‘No place in our society.’ Ban on inhumane glue traps gets Ann Arbor’s final OK,” October 2026, https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2026/10/no-place-in-our-society-ban-on-inhumane-glue-traps-gets-ann-arbors-final-ok.html
Photo: Michael Barera, “Ann Arbor August 2013 13 (City Hall).jpg,” Aug. 17, 2013, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), cropped and color-adjusted, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ann_Arbor_August_2013_13_(City_Hall).jpg

Ann Arbor

Tags: Ann Arbor · News · City Council · Animal Welfare · Glue Traps · Ordinance