Don’t be shy with slug bait

It’s not just armies that march on their stomachs. Slugs do too.

Feed animals, not slugs.

The gastropods (Greek for ‘stomach foot’) can cover significant distances in search of food, travelling up to 13 metres in one night. Unfortunately for growers and farmers, this is combined with a voracious appetite. Slugs can consume more than 50 per cent of their own body weight. Unprotected, damage to plants can happen surprisingly quickly.

Pieter Van Der Westhuizen, UPL NZ regional manager upper North Island, says monitoring is vital.

“Ideally, you should be monitoring the slug population early, using a damp sack and checking under it regularly. Even one slug can indicate that there’s a problem.

Looking for dead slugs is not the best way to access a bait’s efficacy. Instead check for crop damage. No damage indicates an effective bait programme.”

Once crops are planted, Van Der Westhuizen says Ironmax Pro should already be on the ground.

“Slugs are aware of seedlings, even as plants are just breaking the surface.

By the time slugs are feeding on emerging seedlings, it’s too late. Seedlings damaged by slugs usually won’t recover.

The goal is to protect the crop. Once feeding damage has stopped, that’s been achieved. We don’t have to see dead slugs to know we were successful.”

Van Der Westhuizen says slugs, which have an acute sense of smell, are attracted by Ironmax Pro thanks to Colzactive technology, a specially selected oil seed rape extract and slugs’ favourites.

Twenty different plant species were evaluated, with two molecules being selected that slugs found irresistible.

Van Der Westhuizen says they don’t hold back when eating the bait.

“Ironmax Pro is highly attractive. It’ll be the slugs’ final meal. They’ll eat it – even in preference to seedlings – and won’t stop until they’ve consumed a lethal dose, before going underground to die.”

While lethal to slugs, the bait is much safer for beneficial insects, farm dogs, and other domestic pets.

“Stock break-outs and gates accidentally left open are part of farming life, no matter how careful you are.

Similarly, the family labrador, or huntaway, needs to be safe when it’s stretching its legs or working on the farm.

With Ironmax Pro, there’s no problem – it’s also safer for beneficial insects. And while the slugs will sniff Ironmax Pro out, it’s definitely more pleasant, in terms of odour for those working with it – especially in confined spaces.”