Over the last few years, cool and wet weather has created optimal slug and snail breeding conditions. This, combined with the recent rains, means mollusc numbers will be high this autumn, reinforcing tthe need to be on top of slug and snail control early.
Slugs and snails cause major damage to Australian crops, with a range of destructive species found across large parts of the country. They pose a significant threat to the successful establishment of many crops and pastures. Slugs and snails cause damage to newly emerging crop seedlings, and snails pose a major contamination threat to both broadacre and horticultural crops.
Monitoring slug and snail populations is an important first step in the control process. Baiting early at sowing is essential. Slugs and snails are known to be discriminatory eaters and it is the quality of the bait, particularly its palatability, which is important.
The choice of bait is critical to an effective result. The product must be attractive, so that snails are drawn to it in preference to other food sources.
An attractive product will ensure slugs and snails encounter a bait by actively seeking it out. This is the difference between a true bait and an old-fashioned bran pellet.
The bait also needs to be palatable, so that snails will eat enough to ingest a lethal dose. Avoid bran pellets with low quality ingredients and low levels of active ingredients.
The product must spread easily and evenly, to reduce both application time and the need for constant and costly re-application.
The bait must be able to withstand rain, slheat, and rain again, and still continue to work. Research by SARDI, and others, has demonstrated that commonly used bran pellets have a short lifespan and don’t work after rainfall.
Metarex Inov All-Weather Slug & Snail Bait, developed from science and nature, provides superior control based on unique Colzactive technology for enhanced delivery.
Metarex Inov provides maximum attractiveness, enhanced palatability and faster effective kill over its predecessor Metarex. It still has the well-known, long-lasting protection, being IPM friendly and having excellent ballistics.
Metarex Inov has undergone extensive testing in Australian conditions to prove its efficacy against slugs and snails. The key to good control is to apply Metarex Inov early, ideally before breeding starts. The application window for optimal control varies from district to district and is also dependent on local environmental conditions, such as weather and field parameters. Metarex Inov is the only choice for an effective slug and snail bait in broadacre crops – only Metarex Inov has what it takes to control slugs and snails when the pressure is on.
This article was written by Agnova for Seasons magazine.
Please note: this article contains information of a general nature, and does not take into account your personal objectives, situation or needs. Before acting on any information, you should consider the appropriateness of the information provided, and seek advice on whether it is fit for your circumstances.
