Your frog is unlikely to eat the pellets, Sarah, but could well eat the dead slugs and these would kill it. There is now a slug pellet based on ferric phosphate called 'Advanced Slug Killer' which is quite safe to use and is available from most garden centers. This is what I use when I need to.

Your frog will be safe if it eats slugs killed by the blue pellets. There has never been any evidence to the contrary.

"Many other animals, such as frogs, toads and hedgehogs also feast on slugs. Research indicates that they rarely eat dead slugs but in any event, so called ‘metaldehyde-poisoned slugs’ have been shown not to be harmful if eaten. Tests have also shown that other beneficial organisms, such as carabid beetles, ants, spiders and earthworms will be unaffected by the use of slug pellets. Metaldehyde breaks down into harmless components such as water and carbon dioxide in the environment and does not have a cumulative effect in the food chain."

http://www.slugawareness.co.uk/safety.html

I am not at all sure about that, Graham. A nursery near Aviemore has found a slow worm dead with a slug in its throat in one of their tunnels. They don't use the pellets any more. The web site that you highlight does belong to Bayer and they have a vested interest in the methaldehyde pellets. When advice on usage says to prevent your cats and dogs getting access to the bait then that is an indication of toxisity to wildlife.

Thanks both for your advice, I am going to look for the 'advanced slug killer' for next year.I had never used pellets at all until this year, but had planted hostas for the first time and really had no choice but to try something to deter the slugs and snails.
Hope Froggy survives
Thanks for your advice

There are other sites...
The bayer site is endorsed by the RSPB.
Anything can be toxic if not used correctly. Does that prevent people buying chocolate just in case their dogs eat it?
If a whole heap of blue pellets were eaten in one go by a dog then problems may occur. Otherwise, none.

As for your slow worm, not a common pet and therefore not one likely to have undergone tests, being in it's throat would not suggest that was the cause of it's death. More likely it got stuck. Did this garden centre provide toxicological data confirming cause of death?

Slug pellets are highly toxic and kill far more creatures than we know. Our thrush population plummeted in the days when we used these pellets as the birds ate the dying slugs and snails and were poisoned.
It really isn't necessary as you can more easily 'trap' slugs and snails with baits and covers of plastic on the ground, or even boards. Just gather up and destroy every slug or snail which takes refuge under the cover.

Sorry but that is rubbish.

It is not rubbish and depends which site you go to for your research Scrumpygran!

I have a cat, Frogs and Hedgehogs in my garden and even though I have been over run by slugs this wet summer and lost some lovely plants, I do not use pellets as I believe there is evidence that some pellets can pass along the animal food chain and kill.

Hedgehog rescue say: SLUG PELLETS containing METALDEHYDE are usually dyed blue. They are lethal to hedgehogs and other wildlife that eat the poisoned slugs. Place out of reach i.e. under slates or inside short lengths of piping. Dead slugs must be removed daily.

SLUG KILLERS containing ALUMINIUM SULPHATE kill slugs and snails by drying up the skin. These are not a bait but kill upon contact. They are placed around the area to be protected and can be diluted in water and sprayed into the ground to kill the eggs. These are safe to use where our wildlife is concerned'.

I have yet to see any scientific evidence backing up your claims. Just anecdotal.
The only scientific evidence comes from the makers of the products.

http://www.gardenseeker.com/slug_pellets.htm

http://www.wildlife-web.org.uk/hedgehog/facts/dangers.html

Try those two.
Seems to me we should ban cars rather than slug pellets.

To do my Bsc (Hons) Scrumpygran I had to do a research module and I think I know the difference between anecdotal and how to look at research findings! Like the others on this question I have just related my experience, which in this instance is - I dont use slug pellets as I dont trust them after reading up on them.

I have used the blue pellets for the first time this year as I could not catch slugs fast enough and they wrecked so many plants in March and quite simply did not have the time to go out every night and pick them off. I also had record numbers of frogs. My observation is larger slugs tend to go for the pellets, which birds, frogs and Hedgehogs seem to avoid eating. You should remove the dead/dying slugs during the day to avoid anything eating them. On saying this it is always better to avoid adding chemicals to the garden and they should be used lightly in problem areas and with care.

I think that Drc has made a perfectly clear reasoning for not using the blue slug pellets...

Thanks MG.

Likewise, I have a BSc, which involved a dissertation on drug toxicology. So I too know what is relevant and what isn't. What was yours on?

Medical Humanities Sg, we have moved away from the question and for this I apologise Sarahm it is your question after all.

Don't think we have moved away.
People concerned about nature need to make their own minds about what is safe and what isn't. To do that you have to research the evidence. And I don't expect others to maybe go into things as deeply as I do. All part of my scientific upbringing.
No way would I use anything that would harm creatures we all love, even though I'd love to shoot all the damn cats who use my garden as their convenience. I have yet to read anything conclusive proving these slug pellets kill anything. Even the hedgehog society have no evidence. The figures from studies show the impossible quantities of dead slugs to be eaten, even though other evidence shows they don't eat dead slugs anyway, to kill them.

There have been emotive reports on pet dogs being killed.
Just how many pellets do these animals eat? It doesn't say. However, below gives the true toxicity of metaldehyde.

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/212000.htm

Now as you can see, 3oz of bait, or pellets, is toxic to a 30lb dog. I've measured out 3oz and it is at least a 1000 pellets.

http://www.vpisuk.co.uk/portal/Aboutus/VPISinthemedia/tabid/141/Default.aspx

Now look at the above proven cases of everday things that we all have/use/buy/grow that poison dogs. Do we stop buying them. Don't think so.

Now I have given you all cast iron links from reputable sources backing up my claims.
All i'm asking for is a few of the same disproving what I say.

Im with scrumpy here, i use pellets and allways will as nothing else works, believe me i have tried everything, Ive had 3 dogs and loads of wildlife in my garden and the only dead birds i have found have been eaten by cats or magpies..

I have already apologised for my part in this question - 3 days ago, and took no further part Bilbobaggins.

Thanks Bilbo.

I fail to see where any apology is needed, or why somebody should suggest backing off.
Seems to me, too many people on here must live in a private world where no one ever argues, or have differences of opinion.
And to suggest using PM's is just as bad. All that does is deprive people of the chance to make up their own minds about what is said.
Most people, when they take the I'm not going to answer any more route, do so because they know they are wrong.