Molluscicides () – also known as snail baits, snail pellets, or slug pellets – are

pesticide Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and lampri ...

s against

mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...

s, which are usually used in agriculture or

gardening Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants as part of horticulture. In gardens, ornamental plants are often grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants, such as root vegetables, leaf vegetables, fruits ...

, in order to control gastropod pests specifically

slug Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc. The word ''slug'' is also often used as part of the common name of any gastropod mollusc that has no shell, a very reduced shell, or only a smal ...

s and snails which damage crops or other valued plants by feeding on them. Limacide

A number of chemicals can be employed as a molluscicide: * Metal salts such as iron(III) phosphate,

aluminium sulfate Aluminium sulfate is a salt with the chemical formula, formula aluminium, Al2sulfate, (SO4)3. It is soluble in water and is mainly used as a Coagulation (water treatment), coagulating agent (promoting particle collision by neutralizing charge) in ...

, and ferric sodium EDTA, relatively non-toxic, also used in

organic gardening Organic horticulture is the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants by following the essential principles of organic agriculture in soil building and conservation, pest management, and heirloom variety preserva ...

* Metaldehyde * Niclosamide * Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (e.g. methiocarb), highly toxic to other animals and humans, acts also as a

contact poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

Accidental poisonings

Metal salt-based molluscicides are not toxic to higher animals. However, metaldehyde-based and especially

acetylcholinesterase Acetylcholinesterase (HGNC symbol ACHE; EC 3.1.1.7; systematic name acetylcholine acetylhydrolase), also known as AChE, AChase or acetylhydrolase, is the primary cholinesterase in the body. It is an enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that a ...

inhibitor-based products are highly toxic, and have resulted in many deaths of pets and humans. Some products contain a

bitter Bitter may refer to: Common uses * Resentment, negative emotion or attitude, similar to being jaded, cynical or otherwise negatively affected by experience * Bitter (taste), one of the five basic tastes Books * ''Bitter (novel)'', a 2022 novel ...

ing agent that reduces but does not eliminate the risk of accidental

poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

ing. Anticholinergic drugs such as

atropine Atropine is a tropane alkaloid and anticholinergic medication used to treat certain types of nerve agent and pesticide poisonings as well as some types of slow heart rate, and to decrease saliva production during surgery. It is typically given i ...

can be used as an antidote for acetylcholinesterase inhibitor poisoning. There is no antidote for metaldehyde, the treatment is symptomatic.

References

External links

* Overview of potential piscicides and molluscicides for controlling aquatic pest species in New Zealan

National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)
Information about pesticide-related topics. *
Get Rid of Slugs and Snails, Not Puppy Tails! Case Profile
- National Pesticide Information Center *

- National Pesticide Information Center

Snail Bait Poisoning

{{pesticides Molluscicides,

Accidental poisonings

See also

References

External links