An invasive species running hog-wild through Georgia farmland is damaging crops and costing farmers thousands.
Feral hogs — also known as wild pigs, swine or boars — are doing more than $100,000-worth of annual damage to crops in the southwestern part of the state, according to new research from the University of Georgia‘s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. Much of the damage is to peanuts, cotton and corn — three of Georgia’s biggest crops.
“While ag is a beautiful industry for us, it’s also beautiful for [the wild pigs],” said Justine Smith, study co-author and graduate research assistant at UGA. “They know where these fields are, they can visit during the same times every year and they just know it’s there and available to them.”
The hogs cause damage to thousands of acres each year, the study found. The researchers used drones to monitor 14 fields in 2021 and 2022 to track hog-caused damage, and extrapolated the data to estimate annual damage losses.
The swine uproot seeds, trample plants and even chew through parts of farming equipment. Previous research has found the bulk of the damage tends to come within about 10 days following seeds being planted, Smith noted.
“They can cause a tremendous amount of damage,” said Charlie Killmaster, a wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division.
Credit: Courtesy/University of Georgia
Credit: Courtesy/University of Georgia
The damage to peanut farms may be especially significant, as Georgia is the U.S’s top producer of the crop, contributing 52% of the nation’s total.
Wild pigs, or Sus scrofa as they’re known in Latin, are an invasive species to North America. They have no natural predators and high reproduction rates, which contribute to the scope of the problem. Domesticated pigs were introduced into the U.S. in the 1500s by Europeans. The current population of feral pigs are descendants of escaped domesticated pigs.
Because they’re not native to Georgia, the hogs can outgrow and outcompete native wildlife for food and other resources, Killmaster said.
There are ways to mitigate the financial and environmental losses these havoc-wreakers cause, with trapping and hunting being among the most common.
The UGA study authors recommend that policymakers invest in proactive elimination methods to control the population and limit harm caused by the pigs. Timing of hog removal can decrease crop loss. Laying bait during the off season, when less food is available, makes it easier to attract and trap feral hogs.
Considering the cycles of reproduction is also important for effectively managing populations of pigs. One of the common peaks falls right before growing season, meaning an increased need for food happens right around when more food becomes available. This feeds into what Smith called “a recipe for disaster.”
One effective method Smith witnessed during her research was aerial removal: a helicopter and ground team working together to usher pigs into an open area, then a gunner in the helicopter taking the pigs out.
Culling and trapping help limit the wild boar population, but it can be hard to keep up with their high birth rate, the study said. Whole sounder trapping — or removing an entire group — is most effective, according to the DNR.
Killmaster recommends neighboring landowners work together to manage feral hog control across larger expanses, rather than each individual doing it one their own.
Additionally, the DNR recently launched it’s pilot of the Hog Down Awards Program to help with population and damage control. Each quarter, five winners will be randomly selected to received a $3,500-value whole-sounder feral hog trap.
“These wild pigs are an issue,” Smith said. “I want our farmers to have as much help as possible.”
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