Multiguard is a bran-based, rust-coloured pellet that’s applied in exactly the same way as an ordinary slug and snail pellet. Unlike ordinary pellets though, it contains a revolutionary new active ingredient called Iron EDTA Complex. This is a substance we come across in everyday life: as a food additive to prevent rancidity, in medicine to treat anemia, and as a trace element in fertilizer. Despite its benefits to humans, however, Iron EDTA Complex is a deadly stomach poison to slugs and snails. Slugs and snails find it highly attractive and consume the pellets in preference to nearby plants. Once they’ve eaten, they lose their appetites and head off home to die – quickly and without a trace.