Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management

Metaldehyde

General Information

• Product Names:
  Deadline Bullets (AMVAC Chemical)
  Corry’s Slug and Snail (Matson)
  Drexel Slug and Snail Bait (Drexel)
  Slug-Fest All Weather Formula (OR-Cal)
  Get-A-Bug Snail, Slug & Insect Killer (Scotts) formulated with Carbaryl

• Chemical Class: Aldehyde molluscicide
• Uses: Control of snails and slugs on ornamentals, citrus, lettuce, cole crops and other leafy greens, tomato, strawberry, berries (including blackberry, blueberry, currant, elderberry, gooseberry, and raspberries), artichoke, and grass grown for seed.
• Alternatives: Organic agriculture
• Beyond Pesticides rating: Toxic

Health and Environmental Effects

• Cancer: Suggestive (8)
• Endocrine Disruption: Not documented
• Reproductive Effects: Yes (4)
• Neurotoxicity: Yes (8)
• Kidney/Liver Damage: Yes (4)
• Sensitizer/ Irritant: Yes (4)
• Birth/Developmental Not documented
• Detected in Groundwater: Not documented
• Potential Leacher: Not documented
• Toxic to Birds: Yes (4)
• Toxic to Fish/Aquatic Organisms: Not documented
• Toxic to Bees: Not documented

Additional Information

• Regulatory Status:
  • EPA Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) signed (7/2006)
  • EPA Amendment to RED for Metaldehyde (6/2007)
• Supporting information:
  • Extoxnet Metaldehyde Factsheet (Extension Toxicology Network)
  • PAN Pesticides Database - Metaldehyde (Pesticide Action Network)