July 10, 2025, 1:23 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
They look harmless—small, colorful granules scattered among lettuce plants. But lurking behind the snail bait is a danger often underestimated, affecting more than just snails. For children and pets, its use can become a deadly trap.
Slug bait is among the most commonly used remedies against slugs in the garden. However, many products contain substances that can cause severe poisoning in children and pets, as MyHOMEBOOK reports. Dogs and cats can indeed die if the slug bait contains ingredients like metaldehyde.
Mechanism of Action: What Happens to the Slugs?
Slug bait is frequently used in gardens to protect lettuce, vegetables, and ornamental plants from voracious slugs. The colorful pellets–usually blue, green, or red–contain attractants that lure the mollusks. Once ingested, the bait leads to the death of the animals, either quickly or slowly, depending on the active ingredient. The most commonly used active ingredients are metaldehyde and ferric phosphate. The active ingredient methiocarb has been banned in Germany since September 2014.
Metaldehyde attacks the nervous system of the slugs. Once ingested, it causes increased mucus production, muscle spasms, and eventually death–usually due to dehydration or paralysis within a few hours.
Ferric phosphate, on the other hand, works more indirectly: It blocks calcium absorption in the slug’s digestive tract. As a result, the animal stops eating, retreats, and starves. “It literally loses its appetite.” For the gardener, the effect is less visible, as dead slugs are often not found–but the effectiveness is still high. A major advantage of this active ingredient is that ferric phosphate targets only slugs and is almost harmless to other animals.
Danger to Pets: Metaldehyde Is Especially Risky
Products containing metaldehyde are considered particularly dangerous–especially for dogs, cats, hedgehogs, and other small animals. Even small amounts can lead to severe poisoning symptoms. In cats, it may be enough if they come into contact with the bait and later groom themselves. Symptoms range “from vomiting, trembling, and muscle spasms to shortness of breath and, in the worst case, death.”
Ferric phosphate-based products, on the other hand, are considered significantly less risky. They only target slugs and are largely harmless to birds, mammals, and earthworms–at least in usual concentrations. Nevertheless, it is important to ensure that children and pets do not come into contact with the pellets.
Children Especially at Risk: Slug Bait Often Looks Like Candy
For small children, slug bait can become a serious hazard–not least because its color resembles colorful sugar pearls. Accidental ingestion can quickly have severe consequences. “In the case of metaldehyde poisoning, symptoms such as abdominal pain, dizziness, vomiting, seizures, and unconsciousness occur within 30 minutes.”
In such cases, calling for help is mandatory: “If there is a suspicion that a child or pet has swallowed slug bait, a doctor or veterinarian should be consulted immediately, or the poison control center should be contacted.”
Using Slug Bait Safely–What Garden Owners Should Consider
Those who still do not want to forgo slug bait should observe some safety rules:
- Use only products with ferric phosphate.
- Never spread near playgrounds or feeding areas for wildlife.
- Apply the pellets selectively and sparingly, rather than over large areas.
- Keep out of reach of children and pets–ideally in a lockable cabinet.
- Wear gloves when applying and wash hands thoroughly afterward.
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Natural Alternatives to Slug Control
For those who want to completely avoid chemical agents, there are proven natural methods:
- Collecting slugs early in the morning or evening.
- Protective barriers made of copper tape, lava granules, or slug fences.
- Repellent home remedies like coffee grounds or mandarin peels.
- Beer traps–though with the downside of attracting slugs from neighboring gardens.
- Encouraging natural predators like leopard slugs or hedgehogs.
These measures are often more labor-intensive but offer a safe way for animals and children to effectively keep slugs in check.