What is metaldehyde?

Metaldehyde is a selective molluscicide that has been used to control slugs and snails for over 50 years. Applied as an edible bait, products registered for use in gardens contain only 1.5% metaldehyde. The pellets are mostly wheat to attract slugs. The other important ingredient is a repellent making the pellets unpalatable to animals.

Metaldehyde-based pellets are the most commonly used molluscicide in agriculture, used to protect many arable crops from slug damage.

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