The label is the law. Read your product's label before you mix or apply; the rates here come from the labels listed under Sources.
- Active ingredient
- Metaldehyde (CAS 108-62-3)
- Chemical class
- Molluscicide.[2]
- Mode of action
- Disrupts mucus production in slugs and snails, reducing digestion and mobility; not an IRAC insecticide group[2]
- Signal word
- Corry's Slug & Snail Death (3.25): Caution[1]
If a dog eats it
There is no antidote and no home treatment: the label says exposed animals should receive emergency care as quickly as possible, so take the dog and the product label to a veterinarian immediately.[1]
How it works
Metaldehyde disrupts the ability of slugs and snails to produce mucus, which reduces their digestion and mobility.[2]
A lower-risk alternative
Iron phosphate baits are labeled for use around pets and wildlife, though large amounts of iron can still make dogs sick.[3][4]
Where it is used
This product may only be applied as a barrier on soil or mulch directly around listed fruit, vegetable and ornamental plants; applications to turf and dichondra, and broadcast or foliar applications, are prohibited.[1]
Use it only where children and domestic animals can be kept out of the treated area until the applied bait is no longer visible.[1]
Products and registrations
| Product | Registrant | EPA Reg. No. | Active % | Formulation | Signal word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corry's Slug & Snail Death (3.25)[1] | Central Garden & Pet (Matson LLC) | 8119-11 | 3.25% | bait pellets (contains the bittering agent denatonium benzoate) | Caution |
Label rates
| Product | Use | Pests | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corry's Slug & Snail Death (3.25) | Barrier around listed fruit, vegetable and ornamental plants (soil or mulch only) | Slugs and snails | 1 tsp per 9 linear ft of barrier[1] One pound covers about 1,500 linear feet. Each crop has a minimum retreatment interval (14–18 days) and a seasonal maximum. Turf, dichondra, broadcast and foliar applications are prohibited. |
How to apply it, step by step
1. Protective gear
- The label lists no protective gear, but the bait is harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin: avoid breathing the dust, keep it off your skin and out of your eyes, wash after handling, and wash contaminated clothing before wearing it again.[1]
2. Before you spray
- It may be harmful to children and fatal to dogs and other pets if eaten, and dogs are attracted to it. Don't use it at all unless you can keep children and pets out of the area from the start of application until no bait is visible.[1]
- It is for outdoor use around the fruit, vegetable and ornamental plants the label lists; it isn't allowed on lawns or dichondra, or within one foot of vegetable or fruit plants the label doesn't list.[1]
- Don't use it near water (including garden ponds) or storm drains, or when heavy rain is expected; it is toxic to birds, mammals and shellfish.[1]
- Removing leaf litter and debris, hand-picking slugs from their daytime hiding spots, and watering in the morning instead of the evening also cut damage.[1]
3. Mixing
- No mixing: the meal goes out dry, straight from the container.[1]
4. Applying
- Put it only on the soil surface, never on leaves or the edible parts of plants, at 1 teaspoon per 9 feet of row, as a band around individual plants, between rows or as a barrier around the plants you want to protect.[1]
- Broadcast spreading and spraying are prohibited, and don't leave it in piles that could attract pets; pick up any you spill.[1]
- Bait in the evening or after rain or watering, when slugs and snails are active; if they come in from a neighbor's yard, a line along the whole edge works as a barrier.[1]
- The label's chart sets the gap between treatments at 14 to 18 days for food plants (21 days for ornamentals) and caps the treatments per season by crop, from 2 for annual artichokes to 6 for ornamentals.[1]
5. After you spray
- Keep children and pets out of the treated area until the bait is no longer visible.[1]
First aid
- On skin or clothing, take off contaminated clothing and rinse with plenty of water for 15 to 20 minutes; in the eyes, rinse gently for 15 to 20 minutes, removing contact lenses after the first 5.[1]
- If inhaled, move the person to fresh air and call 911 if they aren't breathing; if swallowed, call poison control right away, have the person sip water if they can swallow, and don't induce vomiting unless told to.[1]
- The label says metaldehyde has no antidote and no home treatment: get emergency care quickly for a person, and veterinary care right away for an animal that eats it. Its 24-hour line is PROSAR, 1-800-308-3723.[1]
Storage, spills and disposal
- Dogs have eaten metaldehyde after tearing open the package: store it in its original packaging in a cool, secure place out of reach of children and pets.[1]
- Put an empty container in the trash or recycling; for a partly full one, call your local solid waste agency, and never pour product down a drain.[1]
Safety and environmental hazards
People
The label signal word is CAUTION and it warns the bait may be harmful to children if eaten. It calls metaldehyde a systemic toxin with no antidote and no home treatment; exposed people and animals need emergency care as quickly as possible.[1]
Pets
The label warns metaldehyde may be fatal to dogs and other domestic animals if eaten, that dogs are attracted to the product and its packaging, and that children and pets must be kept out of treated areas from the start of application until the bait is no longer visible; do not leave it in piles.[1]
Bees and pollinators
It is applied as a bait on soil around plants, and this label carries no bee-hazard statement; its wildlife warning is that it is toxic to birds and mammals.[1]
Fish and water
The label states it is toxic to mollusks such as clams, oysters and mussels; do not apply it near water, including garden ponds, or near storm drains, or when heavy rain is expected.[1]
Common questions
- Can metaldehyde slug bait kill a dog?
- Yes. The label warns it may be fatal to dogs and other domestic animals if eaten and that dogs are attracted to it; there is no antidote, so treat any ingestion as an emergency.[1]
- Can I scatter metaldehyde pellets on my lawn?
- No. The label prohibits applications to turf and dichondra and any broadcast application; it may only be used as a barrier on soil or mulch around listed plants.[1]
Sources
- U.S. EPA Pesticide Product Label System, “Corry's Slug & Snail Death (3.25) label, EPA Reg. No. 8119-11 (EPA-stamped, Sept. 20, 2012).” www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/008119-00011-20120920.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
- University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Home and Landscape Pesticide Active Ingredients Database: metaldehyde.” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/pesticide-active-ingredients-database/active-ingredient-details/?uaiKey=33 (accessed 2026-10-06)
- U.S. EPA Pesticide Product Label System, “Neudorff Slug and Snail Bait (Sluggo) master label, EPA Reg. No. 67702-3 (EPA-stamped, Sept. 8, 2014).” www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/067702-00003-20140908.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
- National Pesticide Information Center, “Iron Phosphate General Fact Sheet.” npic.orst.edu/factsheets/ironphosphategen.html (accessed 2026-10-06)