"Thunderstorm-3" - Swiss remedy for slugs and snails
The combination of warm winters and wet summers exacerbates the problem of slug damage to plantings. However, you can get rid of slugs and other molluscs with the help of the Thunderstorm-3 pesticide. The basis of the composition is a molluscicide chemical.
There are not many funds like "Thunderstorm-3". But insecticides cannot achieve results, because they are aimed only at destroying insects.
General information about the "Thunderstorm-3"
| Country and company producing the drug | The drug is produced under the name "meta" by the largest Swiss corporation Lonza Group (Lonza Ltd), which dates back to 1897. And meta has been produced for over 100 years with worldwide use. In Russia, the product is packaged by the "Green Pharmacy of the Gardener" (ZAS) - a company created in 1996 with a specialization in plant protection in private households. The pesticide received the trade name "Groza" from ZAS. "Thunderstorm-3" is an innovative form with a halving of the content of the active substance and an increase in the treatment area by 4 times. |
| Permission to use | There is a Certificate of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia on the state registration of the pesticide "Groza-3", issued to the company Lonza Ltd on December 14, 2015 for 10 years valid until December 13, 2025. In the Product Certification Body ANO "TsKPS" issued for LLC "Firm" ZAS "Declaration of conformity of" molluscicide for personal subsidiary plots "to the requirements of GOST R 51247 for the content of the active substance, humidity, acidity and packaging. |
| Price category and packing | The tool is inexpensive. Retail packages - packages of 15, 60 and 100 g with prices from ZAS slightly more than 9, 29 and 47 rubles. respectively. For 208 rubles. you can buy a container with 450 g of pesticide and holes in the lid for easy application. A 60 g package is enough to process almost a hundred square meters of a plot. |
| Appearance and active substance | “Thunderstorm-3” is blue granules the size of buckwheat grains. The death of pests is provided by metaldehyde - a solid, tasteless and odorless, almost insoluble in water. |
| Appointment | For all shellfish, including pests such as slugs and snails, metaldehyde is an intestinal poison. Contact influence is also noted, but it is less significant. So "Thunderstorm-3" is fatal to forms that feed on their own. And the formation of eggs must be prevented. The effect on molluscs is associated with damage to their mucous cells. Without lubrication, the pest's body dries quickly. |
| Hazard Class | Belongs to the category of low-hazard substances - class 3. The drug is considered safe for insects, including bees. Gardeners talk about soil cultivation in apiaries. Safety information for earthworms is also disseminated. However, recent environmental studies have shown that when a pesticide is mixed with soil in the recommended amounts for treatment, about 20% of the worms die. With an overdose of 10 times, the population of worms is reduced by half, and the number of microorganisms in the soil also begins to decrease. In 2017, the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia issued an "Addendum on changing the scope and (or) regulations for the use of a pesticide", which prohibits the use of the product in water protection zones, as well as by the aviation method. In addition, its use in mass agricultural production is prohibited. |
| What plants is used on | Processing is carried out on the soil, therefore, it is equally effective for all plants that are damaged by shellfish. |
| Speed and duration of action | The drug begins to act immediately after it enters the digestive tract of the mollusk or on the surface of its body. In a few hours, all pests die on the treated area. When counting the time, keep in mind that molluscs are active at night. If the treatment is carried out in the evening, dry weather is preferable so that the drying effect of the use of the pesticide is not compensated for by high air humidity. However, in general, the toxic effect manifests itself even in the rain. And the poisonous metaldehyde, little exposed to water, remains functional on the site for 2-3 weeks. |
| Resistance | No drug resistance was found. |
| Protection period after processing | Following the norms of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia, for the safety of work in contact with the soil after dispersing the pesticide, it is enough to wait 1 day. |
| Waiting period | The treatment with the agent practically does not affect the harvest, since it should exclude contact with the leaves. And it is enough to shake off the "carrion" and root crops and rinse with a stream of water. |
| Additional effects | The bulk of the pesticide contains components that attract pests, such as bran, and which scare away birds, as well as domestic animals, including dogs. |
| Combining | Combination with other substances is not provided. |
The shelf life of the drug is 3 years.
Instructions for use
The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has recommended two methods of using molluscicide:
- To protect all crops, the agent is scattered along the aisles and on the paths in an amount of 30 g per 10 sq. m area.
- To protect orchards for every 10 sq. m provide 4 bait areas in a quarter of a square. m, scattering on them 1–2 g of pesticide. The treatment is repeated up to 3 times at intervals of 7-14 days.
The processing time must be chosen taking into account the breeding time of slugs: from the end of July to a cold snap to +5 degrees and below.
What could go wrong?
Additionally, gardeners note the following circumstances:
- If there are a lot of slugs, especially if they are large, then it is unpleasant to see dead mollusks scattered over the body area. And the invasion of the Spanish slug 15 cm long has already reached Russia.
- A lack of pesticide can lead to the preservation of the pest population, and an excess is unsafe. A particular threat is posed by heap placement of funds.
- Dead molluscs covered with pellets containing poison can poison predators, including domestic animals.
Therefore, it was proposed to scatter "Thunderstorm-3" not on the soil, but in the middle part of the substrates with an area of a quarter square. m or more. Above, you need a shelter of a similar material to isolate the drug and attract slugs. Conveniently, if the material is flammable (for example, these are pieces of cardboard or roofing material), then all residues are disposed of by incineration.
Security measures
The use of Thunderstorm-3 requires compliance with safety instructions:
- Metaldehyde is destroyed with the formation of carbon dioxide and water. The process is active at 50 degrees, but the threshold is reduced by the action of soil acids and microorganisms. Until the poison is completely destroyed, it can destroy the soil biocenosis. And 15 g is enough to exceed the maximum permissible concentration in soil weighing almost half a ton. Therefore, collecting and burning all pesticide residues is very important.
- The drug may irritate the skin as well as the eyes and respiratory system. Therefore, it should be laid out in calm weather, avoiding contact with open areas of the body. Use of glasses, gloves and a gauze bandage will be useful.
- It is necessary to exclude the ingestion of poison. It is unacceptable to store it near food and in the reach of children.
- The minimum package of "Groza-3" is enough to exceed the maximum daily dose of metaldehyde for 1000 people. Symptoms of poisoning appear in the period from 3 to 48 hours and begin with pain in the abdomen and vomiting, and may end with coma and respiratory arrest. If the drug has entered the body, you need to see a doctor immediately.
Conclusion
Slugs and snails are not only plant pests. These are sources of infections that are dangerous to humans and pets. And it is great that there are such effective means of struggle as "Thunderstorm-3". But the use of molluscicides requires a clear understanding of the principle of their action and the possible risks.
and will be published shortly.