FWIW I doubt that the OP (Donna) would be able to get metaldehyde anyway since she's in Ontario where it is banned for "cosmetic" use in gardens.
Re iron phosphate, Dr. Jeff Gillman, author of the book The Truth About Garden Remedies, wrote an interesting blog about that here:
http://blogs.extension.org/gar...
My grandfather used the beer-in-tin method but that was in England. Here I'm a bit concerned about the wildlife finding it and discovering an inebriated skunk hiccuping away out there in the garden.
