The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has designated feral hogs (Sus scrofa) as one of the world’s 100 worst invasive alien species. Feral hogs have significantly expanded their distribution across the United States since their introduction in the early 1500s. Today, they are found in at least 35 states and are estimated to cause over $2.5 billion in annual economic losses through crop damage, pasture degradation, harm to livestock and infrastructure, and costly control efforts.
These opportunistic omnivores prey on both wild and domestic animals–feeding on small rodents, amphibians, reptiles, sea turtle eggs, and livestock such as lambs. Alarmingly, feral hogs in the U.S. have also attacked humans unprovoked, sometimes resulting in fatal injuries.
With over 36 years of vertebrate pest management and vector-borne disease research, Genesis recognizes the urgency of the feral hog epidemic and continues to contribute meaningful tools to address the crisis. We began working on feral hog control over 25 years ago. Since then, Genesis has conducted both laboratory and field-based toxicological studies evaluating feral hog toxicants–culminating in the first EPA-registered feral hog toxicant bait in 2017.
Our work contributed to a large-scale, third-party evaluation of the toxicant by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and Texas Wildlife Services. These promising results paved the way for product registration in Texas and Oklahoma.
At Genesis, our goal is to provide sound scientific data that helps biologists and land managers understand the impacts of feral hogs on ecosystems and empowers them to control populations more effectively.
