Slugs vs ferrous sulphate

[allensylves]

Here is an appealing slug and snail control from this website:
http://www.echotech.org/technical/az/azt...s.htm#Iron

IRON SULFATE MOLLUSCICIDE. The horticultural newsletter HortIdeas (September 1990 and April 1992) has reviewed several reports on using iron sulfate (green vitriol) to control slugs. "Recent laboratory trials in England support the notion that iron sulfate is rapidly absorbed by slugs which contact it and is highly toxic to slugs. ...Iron sulfate is cheap, easily available, and not very toxic to humans." In fact "it is a widely prescribed iron supplement for people suffering from anemia."

A subscriber in Spain, Brian Lynas, reports great success by spraying or sprinkling (especially following rain) a solution of iron sulfate. "For over a year I have intermittently sprayed iron sulfate solution around lettuces, brassicas [Ed: cabbage family] and any other plants which were under attack from mollusks. The concentration does not seem to be critical. I use four heaping teaspoons in a five-quart sprayer (twice that concentration if using a watering can) on the soil around slug-attracting plants. ...I've sprayed the soil and also sprayed the plants directly. There's no doubt that either is effective, especially if you can directly spray the mollusks themselves.

"The spray seems to act as a contact poison, so if the animals are wetted or have to cross a sprayed area like a leaf, they die. Unfortunately, when sprayed onto soil, the soluble iron sulfate is quickly changed to insoluble hydrous iron oxides and is ... inactivated.

"Iron sulfate burns some sensitive (usually young) plants. The damage is minor, and my impression is that the anti-mollusk benefit far outweighs the disadvantage. In fact, ferrous sulfate solution at around 3% strength is often used for correcting iron deficiencies by direct spraying on foliage.

"Regular spraying--especially after rains--around the plant bases where the creatures hide, as well as generally around the cultivated area, dramatically decreases the mollusk population with almost immediate effect. [In Mallorca] a small conical snail occurs by the hundreds of thousands. A couple months ago these were infesting a patch in which I'd planted small brassicas and lettuces. Sometimes each plant would have 30 or more snails lying around underneath. I sprayed the solution over them, and they evidently all died. What's more, it seems this killed ... the eggs also, for even now there are practically no mollusks in the area."


I have not tried this yet, but I will. Ferrous (iron) sulfate is listed by several eBay sellers. Supposedly ferric sulfate is toxic to plants. I have copper sulfate, but it is toxic to plants as well as slugs and snails so it should be only sprayed on table legs, raised bed edgings, etc. Ferrous sulfate sounds much more versatile.

Several other ideas are discussed on this website.

Allen
Baton Rouge, LA & HPP

[Nalu]

This is the same ingredient that is in "Sluggo", it comes in small pellets. I've been using this for years and it works great. A plus is the uneaten peelets break down and really make the leaves turn green. The proof is in all the dried up dead snail carcasses I find. Angela

[allensylves]

Angela,
Close but no banana! Sluggo has 1% iron phosphate, which is probably even better as a fertilizer in rainy areas. However, the ferrous sulfate is a lot cheaper to buy. I just paid $10.00 + $9.85 shipping for 10# on eBay. That would get you about 2 + 2 # of Sluggo or equivalent here. I am thinking of trying to make my own Sluggo substitute with 2% or so of the ferrous sulfate in oatmeal, etc. (breadfruit, taro ?). It would sure be a lot cheaper.

Allen
Baton Rouge, LA & HPP

[AlohaSteven]

Great to know about the potential of iron sulfate, Allen; thanks for posting the info.

I am thinking of trying to make my own Sluggo substitute with 2% or so of the ferrous sulfate in oatmeal, etc. (breadfruit, taro ?)

Seems like since the toxicity is so low for humans it would likewise be low for rats. Might be a worth weighing this strategy in consideration of relative merits if iron sulfate tagged oatmeal, breadfruit, taro and so on are spread around against slugs. Doing in a bazillion slugs may not avail much if rats carrying angio are also inadvertently attracted by the oatmeal, breadfruit, taro and so on right into the very places one most does not want 'em to be pooping their infective feces. Slugs are naturally short-lived but one rat can live for years and so may saturate an area with infected feces.

Sounds like there may well be a constructive role for iron sulfate in countering rat lungworm; balancing how best to use it on slugs against attracting rats by setting out tasty slugbait is perhaps worth thinking about. A combination of iron sulfate in sprays &/or inside modified C-channel around raised beds used together with rat traps might be advantageous.


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Nirvana vs Rick Astley
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[allensylves]

Good point.

Another thing to try would be to mix the iron sulfate + oatmeal, etc. with rat bait pellets and maybe increase their attractiveness to rats. Might kill 2 pests at once. Since treatments should probably be light but frequent for both, this would simplify controlling both.

Allen
Baton Rouge, LA & HPP