# Dung beetles



## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

Have heard some about them, sound like beneficial creatures. Might need to do some more research

http://www.farmanddairy.com/columns/grazing-with-dung-beetles-improves-soil-health/312399.html


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## Fossil02818 (May 31, 2010)

We once purchased some dung beetles to see how they would affect the cow patties in one of our paddocks. The beetles were sent by mail and arrived healthy enough. They got right to work and definitely helped return the manure to the soil faster than without beetles. However, there were plenty of beetles that just flew away and very few survived our harsh winter. It was an interesting experiment and I'd say it is worth trying to establish a dung beetle population if you can find a winter hardy bug.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

They are a natural here.

It is funny watching a little bug so possessed with pushing a ball of poop around. When I was a child I thought the beetle was just pushing it around for fun. I did not know until later that there was a purpose for the madness.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

There used to be a lot around here. Now, I can't remember the last time I saw one.

Ralph


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

rjmoses said:


> There used to be a lot around here. Now, I can't remember the last time I saw one.
> 
> Ralph


Amen Buddy I haven't seen a dung beetle in yrs where I live.


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## atgreene (May 19, 2013)

Pesticides and the change in how we farm has laid waste to them.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I agree that pesticides played a role. That was mentioned at a grazing seminar I attended.

It is interesting to see videos of how much beetles and earth worms are able to pull underground in one night.


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

Very few dung beetles were here when we took over this place, but now they are plentiful. You ought to see them fly around during mating time in mid to late summer.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

If pesticides have a negative effect on them could chemical fertilizer do the same?

I dont believe I've ever seen any here, probably our nice Siberian winters keep them at bay

We have plentiful earthworms here in the right condtions cow patties dont last long. Three-four days and all that's left are the larger clumps when spreading manure


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Everything you could care to know about earthworms....and didn't want to ask....all joking aside, earthworms are great aerators of the soil. If you will read this entire document from the NRCS, I will guarantee that you will learn more than one thing.

Regards, Mike

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_053291.pdf


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

Back to dung beetles, We routinely use chemical fertilizers (granular N, P, K, S, Mg,  and still have dung beetles. Here is a picture of one burying a roll of bovine manure on our ranch.


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## prairie (Jun 20, 2008)

Use of almost any pour-on for external or internal parasites, fly tags, etc are detrimental to dung beetles, no matter what the company or label says. Fly larvacides commonly fed through mineral are particularly devastating. Habitat destruction and change also have a large impact.

When we were using pour-ons, fly tags, larvacides, and wormers we saw very few dung beetles. It took about three years after stopping use of those products before we saw any significant increase in dung beetles. The last time I took time to survey a few years ago, we found 11 different species spread throughout the season. I am sure it is more than that now.

There are three types, tunnelers, dwellers, and rollers. Tunnelers live below the manure pile and bury manure in the soil underneath. Dwellers live within the manure pat. rollers live around the edges of the manure pat, and roll manure into dung balls that they roll away from the pat and bury.

One thing that has been disappointing is that we have seen no dung rollers reappear here, as they were common in this area 60+ years ago. My mother tells me she remembers 3 different dung roller species when she was a child. Back then there was much more pasture in our area, mostly native pastures then that now have been taken over by smooth brome, and very little use of pesticides on cattle or crops.

You can monitor dung beetle populations by examining manure pats, both fresh and old, and trapping. Here are a couple of links on monitoring and trapping dung beetles

http://www.dungbeetles.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=8&Itemid=34

http://rinconvitova.com/dung%20beetles.htm


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## lcjaynes (Jul 25, 2014)

http://www.progressivecattle.com/topics/range-pasture/6141-dung-beetles-dirty-work-big-benefits

A good article on dung beetles.

Lynn


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Vol said:


> Everything you could care to know about earthworms....and didn't want to ask....all joking aside, earthworms are great aerators of the soil. If you will read this entire document from the NRCS, I will guarantee that you will learn more than one thing.
> 
> Regards, Mike
> 
> http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_053291.pdf


No-Till Farmer has a book called "The Farmers Earthworm Handbook" Everything you possibly ever want to know about natures tillage tools.


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