ouch! that sounds icky! I haven't had that problem with it, but it washes away too easily. I'm having much better luck with Sluggo, which is in pellet form and doesn't wash away.

Yep - that happens, I've learned to be careful not to breathe that stuff - I use Corry's aong with Deadline - I have a real snail/slug problem.

Sluggo.
Costs a bit more. Worth it.
Safe around pets.
Bait early, bait often, especially in a wet year like this one.

I've tasted the stuff too. Even the pelletized baits have dust that blows around. I called them and suggested that they change the formulation.

I put the powdered bait in a plastic bag with a little water and mix it up really good. After that it's dense enough that you can throw it around easily, and it's wet enough that it doesn't make dust.

I wouldn't use Deadline. My dog really wanted to get to where it was along my grass/patio edge. Something in it was a strong attractant to her, made me very nervous so I covered it up with plant containers and blocked the area off.

I like Corry's, but yes, it is a drag to apply when it's windy. I tried two iron phosphate ones that are safe around pets: Escar-go! (Gardens Alive) and Garden Safe Snail & Slug Bait. They are both white pellets, and my snails and slugs didn't seem to go for them. I would like to try Sluggo since so many of you recommend it. Can I get it at OSH?
Thanks,
Rain

I have worn a dust mask for that very reason.

Penny

OSH should have Sluggo. I know Summerwinds does and I've seen it other places.

I use the iron phosphate ones like the Garden Safe. I water in the evening (to encourage the snails the come out) before spreading it around and it seems to work really well for me.

I used to use Corry's before I got my two dogs. Now I use Sluggo. Corry's is far superior, IMHO, but one of the dogs will eat anything she sees on the ground. Sluggo works, just not as well. I always tried not to put Corry's out on breezy evenings because of the blowback.

Tzus

Never had a problem with that product. Sounds like the application method is the problem. Maybe trying Sluggo would be the better choice for you....When in doubt, try wearing a simple bandana, glasses, and gloves to avoid contamination. But of course, thats common sense. I don't believe its the product to blame here, like I said, the application method.

Just don't think that applying a snail bait should be a challenge and also think that manufacturers should make their products more "user friendly". Will try Sluggo pellets.

When we moved here from Florida I tried all the baits but discovered that every morning when the newspaper comes I put some table salt in it and pick thewe snails into the plastic and have done this for years and have very few snails and no chunky poisons laying around for the pets to eat..

Budweiser in shallow, buried containers did the trick for my garden :)

I've even seen Sluggo or a similar iron phosphate product at Long's.
-Doug

I go on periodic snail hunts. But here's something I used to do in college: spread a thick line of ash from your fireplace as a barrier around your garden bed. They can't cross it. This is after the snail hunt, of course! Also, I've heard that copper strips work well, but haven't tried that.

It was said:
"I put the powdered bait in a plastic bag with a little water and mix it up really good. After that it's dense enough that you can throw it around easily,"

Problem here! Note that snail baits must be reapplied after they are moist. Moisture deactivates them.

Not right away. It takes several days. The baits degrade in several days anyway because of soil moisture, rain, etc. I used to use a restricted 50% metaldehyde powder that was mixed with water and sprayed.

Moistening the bait completely eliminates the problem of dust inhalation.

What's OSH?

Orchard Supply Hardware.

I use the beer-in-margarine-tubs method for most of my slug control. I also accept a little (not a lot) of slug damage as just part of the process. And yes, I have slugs in Nevada. Little bean-sized pale beige disgusting ones.

I'll enjoy a beer whilst squishing slugs.

Never had a problem with Corry's, either. It is one of the best around and I have used it for many, many years. They also have three formulas: powder, pellet, and liquid.

I sprinkled some iron phosphate pellets in my gardens a week and a half ago. I had a heavy snail infestation. It worked so well that my yard smelled like a fishing boat for a few days!

a fishing boat?? why? from the dead snails? or the pellets?

'twas the snails. It took me a while to figure out why my garden stank. That was a lot of dead snails!

ewwwww

Wow, just peeked in to see why this thread is so long...

OMG! Waste beer in a margarine bucket??? I could never do that!!

unless, someone left it out and it went flat!

Skrip, heck no, this is only for half-finished beers lying around after a good party ;^).
Rain

I like That's It and Deadline, which is cheaper.

When I use Deadline or Cory's I get dead snail and slug bodies and flies. (And probably mosquitoes in the water-filled empty shells from my sprinklers). When I use Sluggo, I get no bodies, no flies, and also NO leaf damage. Do they just go hide and get constipated from the iron?

-Babka

I highly recommend Sluggo as well. Diatamaceous Earth also works BUT you have that same problem with inhaling the dust which is most unhealthy! You can also use crushed eggshells (ask restaurants to save the eggshells for you). Supposedly coffee grounds work well, too, but if the plants aren't keen on acid, I wouldn't recommend the coffee grounds (if you have Buddleia or Princess Flower, go with the coffee grounds as they LOVE the acid!). Buy the Sluggo in the largest possible size because it is much less expensive that wayÂ

PS: I love all the comments re the beer. Cracked me up! :) I'm not a beer drinker but I remember going out to buy a couple of cans just to do the 'beer in a pie tin' method of catching the snails. I got the cheapest I could find. I ended up stopping that method because it was just plain disgusting to find all these drunk and dead snails in the pie tinsÂnot to mention I thought it was probably a heck of a lot cheaper and less messy to go with the Sluggo! :P

It was highly recommended to me but haven't been able to find any reference to it anywhere.
Help!! I'm inundated with the little buggers!

"It" what, Sluggo? Sluggo, or others similar brands listed as "pet safe" snail bait, is sold at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware, etc.

Check out the changed title of Aloha's post, Sautesmom - "Anyone heard of 'That's It' slug/snail bait?" I tried searching for it, Aloha, but couldn't find anything with that name. Maybe ask whomever recommended it to you?

Brenda

Beer works fine for slight snail problems; if you have a lot of snails however, it is not adequate. Neither are coffee grounds. If they were, the English would not have developed Corry's.

My dogs are trained not to get into my garden area but I still use Sluggo because the neighbor's cats like to visit and they walk all through it, plus take their afternoon siestas in lots of places. Not easy training a cat! So for their safety I use the safest slug bait I can find.

I tried diatomacious earth but stopped using it mainly because it looks awful, who wants to see their garden covered in white powder? When DH has a poker game I empty the leftover beer bottles into a cup and put that outside in the garden! But I never seem to place the beer bait where the snails are. So that's why I use Sluggo now, it's expensive but quick to apply.

"Check out the changed title of Aloha's post, Sautesmom - "Anyone heard of 'That's It' slug/snail bait?""

How odd--mine comes up on all the posts except that one as "Snail Bait I Would not Recommend".
Maybe it should have been started as a new post, so it would show up that way...
Anyway I haven't heard of it...
Carla in Sac

For those of you breathing in Corry's or getting it into your eyes, you might want to take a look at the MSDS for the active ingredient in it (metaldehyde). It's not a nice substance. It shows some liver and kidney toxicity, especially if you have an existing condition. At the very least, wear a mask, gloves and eye protection when working with it.

Bellatrix

Here is a link that might be useful: MSDS for Corry's and Deadline

Can you use Corry's for vegetable gardens?

we used Corry's and our dog got into it and IT KILLED HIM

That's why you read the warning label first and take all the precautions necessary. If you have kids or for yourself, would you just give anything to them without knowing what could happen first. Same for your dogs, plants etc.

Is Sluggo safe for small 6 pound dogs?

"That's It" really works. Kills em. No BS. However I just ran out and cannot find it. Don't know if it is toxic, or kills anything else. But it definitely kills snails.
Maybe someone has seen it in their local store. Any Idea's?

EVERYONE BEWARE, THE IRON PHOSPHATE IS NOT SAFE FOR PETS. IRON PHOSPHATE IS PERFECTLY SAFE FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY HAVE A ACTIVE INGREDIENT WHICH IS UNDER THE INERT (UNIDENTIFIED) INGREDIENTS THAT IS CALLED EDTA. IRON PHOSPHATE DOESNT RELEASE IT HIGH LEVELS OF IRON BY ITSELF BUT THE EDTA CAUSES IT TO RELEASE CAUSING IRON POISONING WHICH KILLS. IF IT WERE IRON PHOSPHATE ALONE THEN NOTHING WOULD DIE. WITHIN THE FIRST COUPLE HOURS, YOUR DOG WILL HAVE LETHARGY, VOMITING, AND DIARRHEA BUT LATER WILL APPEAR TO BE PERFECTLY FINE. ALL THE WHILE YOUR ANIMAL IS ONLY GETTING WORSE AND COULD HAVE COMA OR DEATH WITHIN 24 HOURS. SEEK MEDICAL HELP IMMEDIATELY AND DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING HERE ARE A FEW LINKS THAT IVE FOUND THAT PROVE THIS TO BE CORRECT. THE EPA HAS LOOP HOLES THAT ALLOWED THIS TO BE DONE
http://www.hostalibrary.org/firstlook/RRIronPhosphate.htm

http://blog.oregonlive.com/pethealth/2008/07/gardners_beware_of_socalled_pe.html

http://www.growingthegarden.com/2010/11/is_safeforpet_snail_bait_reall.html

red_prowestgroup_com

You previously asked about our that's it snail bait product. We now offer our product online.

https://thatsitsnailbait.com/

Thank you and look forward to serving you :)

"That's it" contains metaldehyde. The OP is from 2005 and I don't think Corry's snail bait is made in powdered form any more - just pellets.

Metaldehyde is extremely toxic to any pets, other wild mammals and birds that may consume it. And to humans :-) It is much more appealing to pets than a iron phosphate bait as it typically contains molasses or brown sugar to draw in or attract the mollusks.

I've used Sluggo - iron phosphate bait - for years and also garden with both cats and dogs. None have ever shown the slightest interest in it. A dog would need to consume quite a lot of the product to be affected by either the EDTA or iron toxicity whereas even a very small amount of metaldehyde can prove fatal.

I have used a metadehyde snail product in my garden for years (25+) and haven’t had any issues. The other stuff doesn’t work as well for me.