Overview

Slugs and snails can cause significant damage to flower quality. Leaf and flower damage caused by slugs or snails can easily be misinterpreted as caused by other insects, leading to ineffective control or the unnecessary use of more expensive pesticides. Since they are hermaphrodites, a single pair of slugs or snails can breed and lay a clutch of 80-120 eggs. Breeding cycles can occur as often as every 4-8 weeks.

Interstate and export shipment of perishable plants also require molluscicide treatment and certification that items are slug/snail free.

  • Slug
  • Snail

 

Metarex® is NOT registered for use in North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. Only New York State classifies Metarex 4% Snail and Slug Bait (EPA Reg. #7173-257) as a Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP).

Pocket Gopher Damage-Mounds
Pocket Gopher Damage Mounds
Pocket Gopher Damage Mounds

Preventative Treatment

Since prevention is often easier and less costly than curative spot treatments, many nursery and ornamental growers kill slugs and snails using metaldehyde on a fixed schedule (minimum retreatment interval of 21 days, up to the labeled active ingredient limit) during the growing season. Metarex offers immediate protection to plants.

In other regions, slugs and snails can cause plant damage during wetter periods, such as spring, and in irrigated environments such as under plant canopy (e.g. hostas) and in greenhouses. The weatherability, pellet uniformity, mold resistance, palatability, and efficacy of Metarex all contribute to its performance. Metarex is dust free and will not stain plant containers or potting media.

 

Why Metarex?

Innovative growers have found that using no-dust Metarex with application equipment designed for banded application of granular products at low rates enables them to achieve effective control.

Metarex 4% Metaldehyde Bait with reduced-rate technology delivers high palatability in smaller, consistently-sized pellets. An exclusive manufacturing process blends the active ingredient homogeneously throughout the pellet, while drying and hardening the pellet. This process is similar to that used for pasta. Pellets can become wet and will re-harden, offering irrigation and mold resistance and yielding long field life. Metarex's all-weather formula is rainfast up to 45 days under normal rainfall. Metarex's hard pellets hold up in planting equipment and fertilizer blends.

Metarex’s no-dust formula reduces bait waste, and your applicator rig and clothing do not turn blue, saving you valuable clean-up time.

Metarex provides more baiting points (pellets) at approximately 35,400 per pound. Plentiful baiting points are critical for controlling slugs and snails since slugs and snails often do not venture far to feed, especially less-mobile juveniles.

 

Plant Protection

 

Gopher Chart
Plant Protection Damage

University trials done in 2 ft. x 2 ft. x 2 ft. snail pens (8 cu. ft. each) with 10 snails and two ornamental plants per pen. Metarex snail kill 1 day after treatment (DAT).  Photo credit: Dr. Hipólito O’Farrill, Entomologist, University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez, 11/07.

Weatherability

Metarex’s all-weather formula is resistant to rain and watering. Pellets retain their shape longer, remaining effective and providing protection for up to four weeks. Successful preventative treatments can be made according to label directions with rates as low as 8 pounds per acre (six Metarex pellets per square foot), and bait can remain available for up to four weeks under ideal conditions.

Metarex pellets after 24 hours in an open Petri dish, 20mL water, 85% relative humidity. Photo credit: Dr. Hipólito O’Farrill, Entomologist, University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez, 11/07.

 

Mold Resistance

Metarex holds up even 10 days after treatment.

Mold Resistance
Photo credit: Prominent California nursery, 4/06.

Uniformity

Metarex’s pellet size uniformity helps it achieve more consistent dispersion when applied in a band, in between rows and/or directed at the base of plants with application equipment designed for banded application of granular products. Highly visible pellets help assure proper coverage and prevent over-application.

Metarex 4% wet process results in 92% of pellets exactly the same 2.5 mm size <8% variance: 2.4 or 2.6 mm.

Palatability

Metarex offers high palatability with the bait carrier favored three-to-one versus fresh lettuce and carrots in slug trials. This high palatability equals quick attraction. After feeding, slugs dehydrate and die within 2-6 days.

Gopher Chart

Application Directions

Apply Metarex at a rate of 8–25 pounds per acre (A) or 6 to 20 pellets per square foot. The maximum application rate is 25 pounds of product per acre (1.0 lb. ai/A) per application. A maximum of 6 applications are permitted per growing season at a minimum retreatment interval of 21 days. See full label.   See information sheet