Thumbs up for slug bait

GETTING THE BETTER OF SLUGS before they get the best of your new crops is not just a matter of good planning and preparation this spring.

It also comes down to picking the right tool for the job.

An effective active ingredient is only part of the package. For good control, slug baits also need to be attractive and tasty to slugs; durable under wet conditions; and small enough to provide comparatively high ground coverage.

SlugOut All-Weather Slug and Snail Bait ticks all these boxes and more, says Nufarm technical specialist Paul Addison.

“It’s easy to apply; farmers can put it on themselves; it tolerates moisture, and the active ingredient, metaldehyde, does not harm earthworms or predatory beetles which feed on slugs.”

Paul was one of the science team at AgResearch who developed SlugOut for New Zealand conditions more than 30 years ago.

“At the time the only alternatives were extruded cereal baits that just fell to bits when it rained. What we designed is a bait that doesn’t break up when it rains and has an edible coat on the outside of an inert core. “That means the active ingredient is concentrated right where the slug feeds, and it doesn’t have to eat much to consume a lethal dose.

“The other critical difference is that SlugOut is small. We knew it was important to ensure a high level of ground coverage, and you can’t get that with a large bait size.”

Capable of taking out 20-50% of young crops in no time, slugs love newly sown clover. But they also consume cereals, maize, forage brassicas, fodder beet and grass.

Once damage is done, it’s too late to do anything about it, so it pays to plan proactively.

SlugOut is available now from your rural merchant.