Snipper is a deflowering agent, specifically a plant growth regulator (PGR) containing indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), used to prevent sweet gum trees from producing "gum balls" by causing the premature death of developing flowers.

Here's a more detailed explanation:

• What it is:Snipper is a microinjection solution that is injected into sweet gum trees to prevent them from flowering and producing the seed pods (also known as "gum balls").

• How it works:The hormone in Snipper, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), is converted to another naturally occurring hormone that kills pollen cells in male flowers and the ovule in female flowers, leading to the formation of an abscission layer at the base of the flowers.

• When to apply:Snipper should be applied in early spring, during the flowering period, when the first flush of male flower buds reaches about 1.0 inches tall.

• Application method:Snipper is applied using a microinjection system, with one 5 mL unit injected for each 4 inches of tree trunk circumference, near the ground line.

• Other uses:Snipper can be used on other trees such as Ash, Black locust, Black walnut, Cherry, Cottonwood, Crabapple, Gingko, Hackberry, Hickory, Honey locust, Maple, Oak, Olive, Persimmon, Plum, Tree of Heaven, Sweet gum, Sycamore

• Important Considerations:Apply only during the flowering period.
  Microinjection units may take several minutes or more to empty.Remove microinjection units with caution and never assume they have depressurized completely.