slug pellets

mardatha

Are those wee blue slug pellets harmless to humans? What are they made of?

amcluesent

Metaldehyde and methiocarb

Lotus-eater

There are blue slug pellets and blue slug pellets.

These
http://www.organiccatalogue.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1821
are based on ferric phosphate apparently (means nothing to me) and are harmless.

Every other slug pellet (as far as I know) is based on one of the two ingredients posted above and pretty nasty.

mardatha

How are you supposed to use slug pellets, anybody ? I have them scattered in a 1" band around my lettuce but what happens in a heavy rain ? Do they wash into the soil and get to the roots ?
Edited- just seen your post Lotus sorry. I got them loose in a bag from a neighbour, I will need to ask him. TY both.

amersall

you only need a few pellets, i think you are using too many, the slugs wont go for them if there are a lot, i use my hand and just put a few at the front of the plant,please wash your hands after!! this always worked for me, they dont affect the plant at all
It kills slugs both on contact and when eaten by the slugs. The pellets consist of around 5 % metaldehyde with the remaining 95% being designed to attract slugs - pure metaldehyde will actually repel slugs. Hence the reason for applying slug pellets sparingly - too many in a small area will repel them, not kill them. The poison works by causing the slugs to produce large amounts of mucus which cause dehydration and prevent them from moving. hope this helps

mardatha

ok many thanks for this. I will use less in future and make sure they're well back from the lettuce ! left to myself I would've got organic harmless ones but got no money at all and these were a free gift...

Lotus-eater

You should read this before you put any more down, I would be sure that you have got the cheap and nasty ones.
http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/techniques/pests/slugs.htm
I wouldn't have them in the garden myself.

Using any pellets, you are supposed to scatter them over a wide area, not all heaped up in one place, an even scattering ideally one pellet every few inches I think is supposed to be about right,

mardatha

O god. Off outside now (into the howling wind lol) to remove some ! LOL!