The giant African snail (GAS), Lissachatina fulica Bowdich is one of the world’s most pes-
tiferous snail species. This invasive pest was discovered in Miami, Florida in Sep 2011.
Shortly thereafter, an eradication program was implemented by the Florida Department of
Agriculture and Consumer Services in conjunction with the United States Department of
Agriculture. In the past, most mollusc eradication efforts have relied on metaldehyde and
carbamate-based products that may also have deleterious effects on humans and non-target
vertebrates. This study compared the efficacy of 4 commercially available molluscicides: a
metaldehyde and carbamate-based bait (Ortho Bug-Geta Plus) and 3 more environmentally
“friendly” formulations, including 2 iron-based baits (Ferroxx and Sluggo) and 1 boric acid-
based bait (Niban) to elicit mortality in laboratory populations of GAS. Bait formulations
were evaluated using a combination of choice and no-choice tests. OrthoBug-Geta Plus was
the most effective molluscicide and produced mortality between 69.2% in choice tests and
71.7% in no-choice tests. Sluggo produced a mortality of 49.2% in choice tests and 59.2%
in no-choice tests. Niban produced the highest mortality of all the baits evaluated in the
no-choice test at 74.2% but was much less effective in choice tests with a 48.3% mortality
rate. Ferroxx caused some mortality, 50.8%, but was statistically no different than Sluggo in
the no-choice test. Mean percent mortality was significantly higher in adults and neonates
compared to juveniles in all treatments. Sluggo, Niban and Ferroxx all proved to be signifi-
cantly less toxic than Ortho Bug-Geta Plus in choice tests. Although Niban had a very high
mortality rate in the no-choice tests, when given a choice mortality declined sharply indicat-
ing that this product is not very attractive to GAS. Of the 2 iron based products, Sluggo and
Ferroxx, Ferroxx was less effective at 35.8% mortality in the choice tests. While only having
a moderate mortality rate, Sluggo was deemed to be effective enough to incorporate into