How can I keep wild boar away from my property?

Wild boars, once confined to the countryside, are being spotted more and more in French urban areas.

They have been blamed for ransacking gardens, tearing through bin bags and even causing traffic accidents.

So, what can you do to keep wild boar away from your property?

Fencing

The easiest way to deter boar from entering your garden is to install a strong fence. It needs to be robust as boars are known for being powerful when ramming or lifting obstacles. The fence should be 'knitted' or built with stiff panels, measure 1.5 metres in height and be shouldered by poles buried deep in the ground, according to Ouest-France.

An electrified fence can also be a solution against wild boar, dissuading them from returning. The lowest wire should be positioned close to the ground, as the boar uses its snout to lift the wire and the electric power should not exceed 3,000 volts.

Another technique to frighten wild boar is to install barbed wire latticework on the ground around the fence and veil it under herbs and plants.

You can also stretch barbed wire close to the ground and hang small bells from it, providing a double deterrent for boar.

Read also: Wild boars come into French towns now thanks to human activity

Deterrents

Deterrents are another way to avoid getting ransacked by wild boars. Patrick Georget, owner of company Process Bien-être, created a deterrent from silica that transforms into chalk. It is safe for both the environment and humans and acts as a deterrent to intrusion from boars.

Homemade deterrents – such as poles with rags soaked in eau de Cologne, perfume or a mix of garlic and essential oils – act as strong discouragements to wild boar.

The smell of the human body is said to be another strong repulsion. The first technique is to urinate on parts of the garden you wish to protect.

The second is to disseminate human hair around the garden, as human organic parts have proven to be very efficient against them, according to websites toutpratique.com and Ouest-France.

Read also: French woman says she was ‘treated like criminal’ after saving a boar

Do not feed them

“When they are fed, they stop fearing humans and become less timid which can increase the risk of bites or charges,” said ecologist and geographer Raphaël Mathevet, the co-author of the book Sangliers, géographies d’un animal politique.

He cited urban sprawl as another reason for their arrival in towns.

“Other European cities such as Barcelona, Berlin and Rome are also having to deal with the presence of boars.”

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