Homeowners in Montgomery County, Texas, say feral hogs are digging up neighborhood lawns, and some of the damage is happening during the day rather than overnight.
Trying to get rid of them can be costly: Residents say professional trapping may cost $3,500 or more.
What's happening?
Neighborhoods near Conroe and The Woodlands are seeing more hog activity after development along I-45 displaced the animals from surrounding woods, according to Fox 26 Houston.
Janis Douglas, who lives in the Conroe area near The Woodlands, said she woke up to find that her freshly added soil and grass had been torn apart.
"This spring, I had new soil and new grass brought in. And I woke up the other morning and came out to this," Douglas said. "It's hogs coming through the woods next door and rooting all through my lawn."
Edward Dickey, owner of Texas Wild Hog Control, said that kind of activity often shows up alongside heavy construction in Southeast Texas.
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"When construction companies come in and they clear land, a lot of times that will stir up the hogs and push them into the surrounding neighborhoods," he said.
Fox 26 Houston reported that residents have seen as many as five hogs at a time, including sightings at around 10:30 a.m.
Why does it matter?
This is not just a landscaping issue.
"They are extremely destructive as far as habitat, and they also are a vector for disease, whether it's brucellosis or anthrax... If they feel like they're cornered, then they can become defensive and can quite possibly kill someone," Dickey said.
Human activity can reshape wildlife behavior. As neighborhoods expand into wooded areas and drought or heavy rain shifts feeding conditions, animals often move toward places with water, softer soil, and easy access to food.
There is also a practical cost problem. According to Fox 26 Houston, Douglas said private trapping can cost $3,500 or more, while the nearby township developer-owned land that the hogs use may require permission before traps can be placed.
What's being done?
Dickey said off-the-shelf, do-it-yourself fixes usually fail.
Water sprayers, odor deterrents, electric fencing and amateur shooting attempts may only disperse the hogs for a short time.
"Some people like to try to shoot at them, and that pretty much kind of just scatters the family groups, and they always return," Dickey said.
He said trapping is most effective when it catches the whole sounder, not just a few younger hogs that enter a weak setup.
Because the hogs travel across shared areas, Dickey said the most workable approach is often a neighborhood effort.
"The best option probably is to get in contact with the HOA and get together with your neighbors," he said. "They will not stop. They're going to hit the edges of the neighborhood and then keep encroaching further and further."
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