We may get a commission if you buy something through our links. There’s nothing worse than spending the whole day getting your new veggie and flower seedlings planted, only to wake up the next morning and discover that slugs and snails have turned your garden into their all-you-can-eat buffet. These pesky little night-time raiders love munching on young plants, and they can do serious damage. While there are some ways to handle this, if you’re looking for something quick and easy, there’s an awesome Amazon product that’s got your back: . This handy slug and snail killer comes in a shaker can packed with granules—just sprinkle them around your garden and you’re done. The best part? It’s way less harsh on your pets and wildlife than other options with metaldehyde, so you can use it without worrying. The product’s actually approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) for organic gardening, which is pretty cool. People who’ve tried it give it a solid 4.5-star rating and love how simple it is to use and how well it actually works. That said, a few folks did mention mold growing on the pellets left outside—but you can probably avoid that by not going overboard with how much you scatter. For safety, just wear gloves when you use it and keep your pets away from the pellets. Spreading it out in the early evening is your best bet.
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What’s the secret to Sluggo’s success?
The magic ingredient here is iron phosphate—a compound made up of iron, phosphorus, and oxygen. You’ll find iron phosphate in tons of slug and snail control products, and a bunch of them are totally approved for organic farming. Sluggo is actually one of the best options for protecting your veggies and other plants that slugs love to attack. Here’s how it works: the iron phosphate messes with the digestive system in these mollusks, so they stop eating and eventually bite the dust—usually within three to six days. After they munch on the granules, slugs and snails will take off to hide somewhere, which means you probably won’t see dead bodies scattered around your garden.
Now, while iron phosphate does show up in some of the foods we eat—like bread, milk, and pasta—the good news is that it’s safe for humans. That said, the studies suggest that dogs could get sick if they eat really large amounts of iron, so it’s smart to keep them away from it. Don’t breathe in the dust either or let it touch your skin. Here’s another awesome benefit: any leftover granules will break down and actually feed your soil with nutrients. So using these pellets is a win-win, especially when you need something that works fast and you’re short on time.
