The retailer Loblaw has pulled wasp traps from its shelves after a woman in Toronto posted images on Facebook that appear to show they can also trap birds.
Phoenix Pike posted what appear to be chickadees stuck to a TrapStik wasp trap, which she says she purchased at Real Canadian Superstore, a division of Loblaw Companies.
“We often have little children playing there so we thought that a trap would help,” says the post. “Sadly unbeknownst to us it trapped 7 tiny birds as well,” the post goes on. “It is SUPER sticky.”
Tammy Smitham, a spokesperson for Loblaw, says that this is the first time the company has heard about concerns with the product.
“While we are aware that other Canadian retailers carry this item, we have made the proactive decision to remove the product from our shelves,” Smitham said in a statement to CTV News.
“We are working on issuing this notification to our stores and will be able to accept any returns with a receipt for a full refund,” she added.
RESCUE!, the maker of TrapStiks, issued a statement on Facebook that says that, “relative to the number of TrapStiks we sell every year, catching a bird is an extremely rare occurrence.”
“In the 5 years since this product was introduced in the U.S., we’ve sold over 1 million TrapStiks, and have been alerted to a bird catch about a dozen times,” the statement says.
“While rare, we acknowledge that this is an upsetting and traumatizing sight for anyone to see,” the statement goes on.
“As with any sticky trap used outdoors, there is a risk of catching a bird, a beneficial insect or any other creature that flies and comes into contact with this trap,” the company adds.
“That’s why we emphasize that placement is important. Our instructions advise consumers to hang this trap from a man-made structure, and to avoid hanging it where children, pets or birds may come in contact with the adhesive.”
