Cattle come face to face with wild pigs. Such wildlife interactions pose a potential foothold for disease to infect livestock.

Hog-wild: beware the wild pigs

Wild pigs continue to be an invasive species threat in Manitoba

Wild pigs are defined as any pig living outside the control of people, including Eurasian wild boar and their hybrids and feral domestic pigs now living in the wild. The biggest threat, however, is posed by Eurasian wild boar, which have adapted to our climate and have become a destructive invasive species. They have been

The distribution of wild pig sightings in Manitoba in 2023.

A year of growth for Squeal on Pigs

Wild pig awareness and control project counts victories and challenges in 2023

Manitoba’s Squeal on Pigs campaign has gained traction every year, and 2023 was no exception. The past year brought program expansion, according to a recent update summarizing the initiative’s activities. Why it matters: Squeal on Pigs is reducing Manitoba’s wild pig problem and raising awareness of the invasive species. Last summer, Squeal on Pigs Manitoba


Wild foxtail barley on the edge of a canola field.

Garden seeds lead to problem weeds

Problem weeds may be lurking in that garden catalogue

Manitoba rancher Herman Bouw was casually perusing a gardening seed catalogue when a particular ornamental grass item caught his eye. The plant was listed as “squirrel tail grass,” but Bouw thought it looked awfully similar to a species with a more cursed name on the Prairies. A comparison of scientific names confirmed his suspicion. The catalogue was

Once waterhemp pokes its head above the canopy, it becomes easily identifiable.

The problem with pigweeds

Differentiating different species, including major threats like Palmer amaranth and waterhemp, can be challenging

Scouting for waterhemp is difficult but critical, Manitoba Agriculture weed specialist Kim Brown told producers during her presentation at St. Jean Farm Days Jan. 10. “You’re going to hear a lot about this in the next few years because this is just going to become a bigger and bigger problem, but I really believe we can get out

Manitoba’s wild pig instances as of Nov. 27, 2021, aggregated by the Canadian Wild Pig Research Project.

Flexibility touted for wild pig fight

Manitoba’s industry-led efforts say minimal government involvement is an advantage

Glacier FarmMedia – Manitoba’s wild pig busters have moved fast to find, trap and destroy the invasive species since their Squeal on Pigs initiative was set up a few years ago. The aim is to eliminate Manitoba’s wild pig problem. They have a lot of work ahead. “It’ll probably take most of a decade,” said


Zebra mussels are infamous for clogging water infrastructure intakes, threatening local ecosystems and being almost impossible to control once they make their way into a lake or river.

Forum to fight aquatic invasive species

The advisory group is the latest in Manitoba’s AIS measures

The Government of Manitoba is hoping that a multi-stakeholder advisory group will help hold the line on water-based invasive species. The Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Advisory Forum was announced June 26 to “ensure a regionally diverse range of perspectives are incorporated into prevention and containment activities,” according to a government release. The forum will be

A wild pig skull on display at the ‘Squeal on Pigs’ booth at the Manitoba Pork Council’s annual meeting April 13.

Public got busy squealing on pigs

Wild pig sightings went up as awareness grew, industry group says

The public has proven to be pretty good at squealing on pigs, shown by a reported increase in invasive wild hogs spotted and killed in the last year. “The more folks we have working on it, the greater success we will have,” said Jenelle Hamblin, manager of swine health at the Manitoba Pork Council. At

Opinion: Good or bad?

Whether or not invasive species threaten native biodiversity and ecosystems has been a point of debate among researchers for years. Invasive species have caused extinctions of native species and even altered the functioning of ecosystems. But not all species that are introduced to new areas become invasive — meaning they cause negative impacts. Despite this,


“…there’s already lots of users from Manitoba on our system and those people now have an easy way (to report) with a tool that they already use for work.” – Rob Hannam, Farm Health Guardian

App to help Squeal on Pigs

Manitoba Pork hopes Farm Health Guardian will help streamline the reporting process for wild pigs

Manitobans with a smartphone have a new way to raise the red flag if they spot wild pigs. Sightings reported through the Farm Health Guardian app will now feed into the province’s Squeal on Pigs campaign, an initiative launched earlier this year under the auspices of the Manitoba Invasive Swine Eradication Project. Why it matters: The Prairies’ growing

Waterhemp in soybeans.

Timing is critical to scout for waterhemp

This tier one noxious weed must not be allowed to set seed, and once it’s established it’s tough to root out

Manitoba’s weed specialist says it’s time to be vigilant about waterhemp. “We’ve got a lot of waterhemp findings in the province all of a sudden,” Kim Brown-Livingston told the Co-operator. “It’s resistant to multiple herbicide groups, it’s a very aggressive weed, it’s a very prolific seed producer and … you just can’t get rid of