The HogModel, a term here used to refer to all previous model implementations as well as SharpHog, uses mathematical constructs and algorithms meant to closely mimic specific aspects of the biological system.  What this means is, the model is not just a lucky formula that guesses how many dead trees will result from so many initally infested.  Rather, the model closely mirrors the system, following beetles from egg  to egg-layer through six insect life-stages.  Southern pine beetles use pheremones to coordinate their attacks, and these chemical thresholds are included in the model.  By closely modeling the specific aspects of a biological system, a flexibility for refinement and and adaptation is imparted to the model that a more straightforward function or lookup-table would not provide.

SharpHog increases biological parity over prior implementations in a number of ways, not the least of which is the actual structure of the source code.  Now re-built from scratch using object-oriented design principles, the SharpHog model emulates biology by having classes (objects with properties) for all the main components of an actual infestation.  There is a Spot class which maintains the stand characteristics, including tree densities and the date and location.  There is an Infestation class, itself comprised of six life-stage classes representing beetles at varying levels of maturity, and so on.