Michigan Farmer Employs Pigs for Pest Control

A Michigan farmer has turned to pigs to help him control a beetle infestation in his organic apple orchard, according to the AP. Rather than spraying pesticides on his beetle problem, Jim Koan has employed hungry pigs to eat up fallen apples infested with plum curculio larvae, a particularly destructive insect that can wreak havoc on fruit operations.

The plum circulio also attacks nectarine, plum, cherry, peach, apricot, pear and quince. This insect is difficult to control and in the past pesticides have been used to try to keep manifestations to a minimum. Koan’s approach makes a lot more sense. Pigs eat fallen apples where the plum curculio has laid its eggs, as many as 500. This breaks the beetle’s lifecycle without disturbing other insect or animal populations.

The idea has caught the attention of researchers at Michigan State University who are studying Koan’s farm in hope of helping fruit growers around the globe manage without pesticides.

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