Have we all heard about régulateur de croissance des plantes? These are some specific types of chemicals that humans use in their gardens as anti-slug and snail agents. July 30, 2023 Slugs and snails are one of the biggest threats to the health of your plants and crops. But be warned, metaldehyde is just as toxic to pets and wildlife. CIE Chemical metaldehyde products — what are they, how can they be dangerous and some environmental friendly options to give you a healthy garden today.
Metaldehyde is a chemical which most commonly arrives as pellets or liquid form. These are a product used to manage slug and snail pest in gardens which damage plant. Gardeners often prefer the use of metaldehyde because it is simple to take advantage of and can be pretty effective onthese pests. But there is also a more serious side to metaldehyde. Very poisonous which means it can harm pets+birds and other small animals that would come into contact with it.
Humans are generally protected from metaldehyde, unless they consume it in large quantities by accident. While metaldehyde is harmless to large animals, it can cause serious health problems in small ones, like cats, dogs, birds and rodents or kill them. This is because it metaldehyde neurotoxin, which acts on the nervous system. It can lead to very bad health outcomes, such as seizures and difficulty breathing.
These metaldehyde baits are to be sprinkled by the gardener in the form of pellets or liquid where slugs or snails are visible, e.g. around plants and garden beds. The baits smell nice to such pests and attract the same. But after they eat the metaldehyde, it can destroy their nervous systems, and eventually kill them.
Typical signs of metaldehyde poisoning in an animal include excessive saliva, shivering, trembling, convulsions and/or gasping for breath. If you observe any of these symptoms, it is necessary to go to a vet immediately. Your vet might opt to induce vomiting in order to clear any residual poison from their system or administer medication that helps negate the effects of the toxin.
Thankfully, there are environmentally safe solutions to pest control that will be much less harmful for the home pets and other wild animals. You could use natural barriers, walls made of broken shells or coffee grounds. Hence, using these supplies can keep away pests from crops and plants without resorting to synthetic pesticides.
Another alternative is a copper barrier or tape coated with copper. This material protect the garden from slugs by shocking them slightly to prevent them from moving onto your plants. This technique is pet safe and very successful in killing slugs. Companion planting is another term for pest management in a garden. There are plants that deter pests and there are others that will bring the insects away from your desired plants.