A Brief History of Pigs in the Americas
Pigs aren’t native to the Americas. In the 1530s, the Spanish explorer, Hernando de Soto, brought the first pigs to the Americas, specifically to the southeastern US. The wild hogs you see running around today are descended from de Soto’s pigs and other pigs brought across the Atlantic Ocean by European explorers over the centuries.
Why Are Wild Hogs in My Yard?
Like any animal, the wild hog’s goal is to meet their basic need to eat. That basic need brings wild hogs onto your property, your neighborhood, your garden, your yard, or your farm. Wild hogs make their way into urban areas because these areas have easy access to food.
Big Appetites
Wild hogs will eat just about anything, from trash to roots to insects to vegetables in your garden to fallen fruit under your fruit trees. Because they will eat anything, you need to thoroughly inspect your property. Do you notice signs of wild hogs tearing up the earth—a behavior called rooting—only in certain areas? If so, what’s different about those areas?
Rooting for Acorns
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service visited a property with signs of rooting only underneath oak trees. This was a clue to researchers that wild hogs were tearing up the yard to eat acorns.
Seeking Shelter
Beyond food, wild hogs may also use your property for shelter, either in your woods or marshes, where they can enjoy shade and cover. Wild hogs could also be attracted to your property as a water source and may be drinking out of a stream, pond, or creek that runs through your property.
How to Keep Wild Hogs Away
Keep wild hogs away by identifying why they are there in the first place. Then, address the cause. If the appeal of your yard is food, try to remove the food source. If it is shelter, perhaps you can make changes to the shade and cover provided.
Often, however, a more hands on, but safe approach is needed. Wild hogs have nocturnal behavior. They often forage for food at night when they can be undisturbed by humans. Nite Guard Solar lights are a great solution. No fencing required! Our lights have been proven time and again to successfully deter wild hogs.