The USDA will begin tests in Texas and Alabama of a toxic sodium nitrate bait to kill feral swine, said USDA’s Wildlife Services, which combats invasive animals. More than 6 million wild pigs roam parts of at least 35 states and cause an estimated $190 million in crop damage annually, says the USDA.
Trapping and hunting have reduced damage in some areas but the swine reproduce rapidly. Some studies say the population must be reduced 70 percent each year to prevent population growth, said Bill Clay, deputy administrator of Wildlife Services.
The EPA has approved experimental use of sodium nitrate as toxic bait and USDA conducted an environmental assessment that says the bait poses no major problems. For the trials, three to nine “sounders,” a group of wild pigs, will be selected in each of the states and bait stations will be monitored by motion-activated cameras to make sure wild hogs visit the sites before the poison is tried for two nights. Sodium nitrate is commonly used as a meat preservative. If ingested in large doses in a short period, it is toxic to swine.
To read a two-page fact sheet on the sodium nitrate toxic bait, click here.