Migration of Feral Hogs
As you are likely aware, there is a migration of feral hogs that periodically find themselves in the confines of LID 19. LID 19’s Board has received a few requests from residents regarding the hogs and what can be done about them. It is important to note that the LID’s primary responsibility is to protect the levees. In some parts of our LID and throughout the county, LIDs have erected hog fencing to prevent the animals from gaining access to levees where they can cause damage and threaten the integrity of a levee. As a side benefit, the barriers have been successful in limiting their access to homes.
The hog fencing can help, but it is an open system. Hogs, if desired, can travel to the LID 19 interior simply through roads. This means that there is no foolproof barrier method. To help prevent their interest in your property, please consider the following:
- Turn back irrigation settings at your home so the grounds are not so soft and easy to root through.
- Treat your yard for grubs, worms, insects and reptiles quarterly to eliminate the hog’s food sources – this is what the LID 19 does to keep the hogs from digging into the levees.
- Remove all acorns from your lawn if you have oak trees throughout your property.
- Make sure you have no standing water in your yard that hogs will use as a drinking or bathing source.
- Hogs do not like the light at night. Something as simple as solar stake lights in the yard have proven to deter hogs from locations. Predator guards placed at hog’s eye level might be effective
- Do not leave any food outside. This is for human or pet foods.
- Ensure that your trash is well secured and not accessible.
In addition to contacting the HOA, it is also advisable that you write to your county and state representatives. The feral hog problem is not contained just in LID 19, and a regional effort is needed. They need to hear from you to know it is an issue of note.