Glow-in-the-Dark Bait: LSU's Answer to the Million-Hog Menace!

The AgCenter & Department of Chemistry at Louisiana State University have patented a bait to combat the feral hog population.

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These hogs inflict millions in damages to Louisiana’s agricultural fields, with the population now estimated at 1 million.

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The bait employs sodium nitrate and is shaped like gummy bears, even glowing under backlights.

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Hogs consuming the bait become lethargic and perish within three hours.

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Glen Gentry, an LSU AgCenter scientist, emphasized the bait's safety as it degrades into benign compounds.

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Perfecting the bait required multiple iterations, with dehydrated fish being the key enticing ingredient.

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Before public release, the bait must undergo field trials and receive EPA approval.

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The sheer number of wild hogs in Louisiana is equivalent to filling ten Tiger Stadiums.

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A 2022 AgCenter study revealed hogs cause $91.1 million in annual damages, with two-thirds due to crop losses.

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