PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES: Melcocid is a molluscicide based on metaldehyde (5%), an active ingredient belonging to the cyclooctane chemical group, formulated as a ready-to-use granular bait. It comes in the form of small, blue pellets that do not tend to clump, with a faint musty odor. The product is non-explosive and has no oxidizing properties. It is stable under normal storage and handling conditions.
MECHANISM OF ACTION: Melcocid is a molluscicide that acts by contact as well as on the pest’s stomach, as the mucous cells are irreversibly destroyed. The active ingredient, metaldehyde, is a molluscicide used on a wide range of agricultural and horticultural crops to control snails and slugs (shell-less snails). It is believed that the product’s effects on pests are directly related to the active ingredient. Upon absorption of metaldehyde, snails react by secreting excessive amounts of mucus.
The changes in the chemical properties of the mucus demonstrate a multifaceted action of metaldehyde on mucus formation processes. The functions of skin protection, locomotion, and digestion are disrupted since they are directly dependent on proper mucus formation. Excessive mucus secretion can be interpreted as a detoxification reaction in which the snails attempt to eliminate the active substance. The cause of death in the snails is the destruction of mucous cells rather than water loss. This effect is not neutralized by the water in the environment.
Withdrawal period until harvest: 20 days.
