Ferric phosphate slug pellets

[Tristan_He]

Does anyone here find that these actually work? I'm pretty unconvinced! 

[Jeffnz]

Have used them as a pet safe alternative to other chemical slug/snail killers based on metaldehyde and they do appear to be effective. The ferric sulphate  affects the calcium metabolism in the gut system of snails and slugs causing them to stop feeding and die within a few days. Only these species are targeted, causing no ill effects to other creatures.

[Tristan_He]

Well, yes, that's what it says on the packet. But I'm not interested in killing slugs, I'm interested in protecting plants. Something that kills slugs in a few days is no good to me - I need it to kill any slugs that try to attack the plants straight away. I've found that I apply the iron pellets and next morning they are all gone - but there is still damage to plants. It seems that the iron pellets don't have enough of an effect to prevent the slugs continuing feeding. That being the case, the only way to use them is continuously over a wider area for slug and snail population control, which is far more ecologically damaging than the targeted way I normally use slug pellets.

The other thing that concerns me is that a couple of times I have scattered the pellets and found them all gone on nights when slug activity must have been very low. I suspect mice or voles eat them, something I have never observed with the metaldehyde or aluminium pellets. I don't want to be either feeding or poisoning the local rodent population.

[ashley]

Here too ferric phosphate pellets are not very effective against slugs.  However they're eaten avidly by bank voles and perhaps mice, both in the garden & greenhouse.

[Jeffnz]

They are not formulated as a deterrent and death does take a few days so I suppose they will continue to consume.

[Claire Cockcroft]

I've used iron pellets as slug bait for a number of years.  They are very effective on certain species -- the black slug, Arion ater, the brown banded arion, Arion circumscriptus, and the leopard slug, Limax maximus.  Unfortunately, the milky slug (Deroceras reticulatum?) doesn't take the bait or isn't affected, and its population has exploded as the others' has decreased.  Nature always fills a void.
...Claire

[John85]

Far from ideal indeed but i don't want to kill the hedgehogs in the garden so no meta.
Placing traps for slugs is easy : a few planks on the soil are very effective and you don't even have to bait them with beer.Just to collect them every day
Snails are much more a problem here as I haven't found an effective trap even if I have some help from a thrush.I hear the hammering every day.
Any suggestions???