Field Notes

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Hogs Damage Beautiful Yard
Friday, March 04, 2011

We've all had pigs in our back yard. Most of the time it happens at our Fourth of July BBQ when uncle Tony devours a slab of ribs, seven hot dogs, and a 12 pack then passes our on the hammock. Unfortunately though, for these homeowners in Tampa, FL their beautiful gated community became overrun for a year by a different kind of pig - a wild hog. Actually, more like twenty of them.

Every time they fixed their property, crossed their fingers, and hoped it was over, a pack of hogs would come storming through and tear everything up again. This type of damage could easily rack up bills in tens of thousands of dollars for their community. Often in these situations the hogs end up causing damage to the irrigation system which ends up wreaking even more havoc. The worst part is that the hogs are so accustomed to the community that they're not even scared of the residents anymore. As you can see, the damage in the picture comes right up to the house. And according to one homeowner, tapping at them on the glass from inside doesn't do anything but get them to turn and grunt back at you.

We see these types of problems arise every day. As more and more natural habitat gets torn down for the sake of urban development, animals turn to more inhabited areas to seek food and shelter. In the past few years we've seen huge increases in the amounts of hogs, coyotes, and bob cats causing damage and creating conflicts in residential areas.

Be on the look out for small signs that may indicate the start of this type of animal activity in your community. By stopping the problem before it gets out of hand, you could save yourself and your neighbors a boat load of money. Let's all do our best to make sure uncle Tony is the only pig in our yard this year.