Snails eating eggs !!!

[akais818]

Hi everyone, I have recently been having a lot of trouble keeping my frogs eggs around in the setup because there is a ton of stupid snails that keep eating them. I realize that they most likely came from one of the plants I have but I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem? And is there anything I can do to get rid of the snails? I am approaching the end of my rope with these things and any input would be appreciated.

[Sherman]

Sluggo. I have heard that this product works well, is safe for frogs, and breaks down into fertilizer.
http://www.amazon.com/Monterey-LG6515-Co...luggo+plus
I read a very negative review on this product: A woman was very upset that it did not kill the pill bugs (isopods) on her patio.

NOTE: I have no first hand experience with this yet. I plan to purchase some to remove my own slug/ snail issue.
Interesting side note: I watched a slug eat a fruit fly the other day. hock:

[akais818]

I am always skeptical of putting products that are designed to kill into my frog tank but I am willing to try this, especially because when I woke up this morning the 2 remaining eggs, one about 3 days from hatching, were gone. I think that the worms may also be playing a part because they are always around but I have yet to catch one in the act. I just hope it works and is safe for the frogs. Thanks for the reply and good luck with your snail issue!

[Philsuma]

What species of Frog are you keeping and can you pic of the snails. Not all snails eat eggs.

[Sherman]

The active ingredient in Sluggo is iron phosphate.
Thoughts anyone?

My egg eating snails look like little, light brown cinnomon rolls. The largest of them do not barely reach 1/4" in diameter and can devistate a clutch of eggs. They currently reside with my dwarf cobalt D. tinctorius and if I do not pull eggs within 2-3 days, they get consumed by the snails.

[cbreon]

I hear a nice piece of crispy, cool iceberg lettuce works, although I havent tried it myself. I just deal with them and crush them if I see them. I know the lettuce will work for slugs which can be just as destructive, especially for plants.

[boombotty]

The lettuce trick works great. I have had issues with snails and I put a piece of iceberg in after lights out and pulled the next morning before the lights turn on. You will be amazed how many snails you can pull out with this trick. Do it for a few days in a row and it will take a chunk of the population out.

[edwardsatc]

Iron phosphate itself is relatively non-toxic. As is often the case, it's the "inactive ingredients" that are often toxic or contribute to increased toxicity. In the case of Sluggo, inactive ingredients include EDTA and EDDS which , in mixture with iron phosphate, have been shown to be toxic to other life forms both aquatic and terrestrial. For example:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 2I&cad=rja

Other clues are found in the MSDS:

- Moderate irritant. May cause redness and burning.
- Containment: Prevent product spillage from entering drinking water supplies or streams.
- Do not contaminate lakes, streams, ponds, estuaries, oceans or other waters by discharge of waste effluents or equipment washwaters. Dispose of waste effluents according to state and local regulations. Also, chemical additions or other alterations of this product may invalidate any disposal information in this MSDS. Therefore, consult local waste regulators for proper disposal. Do not discharge.

[Sherman]

Thanks for the read.
I will amend my application strategy by applying the product in petri dishes throughout the viv to prevent the pellets from dissolving into the soil.
Don't get me wrong, I like the authentic jungle look of the holes in all of my plant leaves, but those little mollusks have to go.