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Dung beetles are
beneficial insects that use feces for food. There are more than 8,000
species and they are on every continent except Antarctica.
The beetle I spotted was a
"roller". There are two other types: "tunnelers" and "dwellers".
"Rollers" move the manure ball to a
location where the ground is soft enough to dig a hole. The beetle then
buries the ball. It is stored to use later as food
or it is used as a brood ball. A brood ball feeds the young (larvae)
when they hatch. Rollers can move a manure ball 50 times their own
weight.
"Tunnelers"
bury the manure where they find it. This tends to be impossible in the
Hill Country of south Texas. If the manure is on a bed of rock the
manure has to be moved to an area soft enough to
dig. My little friend moved his ball nearly 30 feet before finding
ground to his liking.
"Dwellers" are lazy.
They just move right in. The females lay eggs on top of the manure
pile. Dwellers seem to prefer cow patties.
An area may be home to more than one
species of dung beetle if the climate, terrain and
food source is suitable.
Dung beetles use their sense of smell to
locate manure piles and fly to the location. Some small species ride
the animal and when the opportunity presents itself, land on the fresh pile.
Dung beetles are beneficial insects
because they remove manure, improve the soil and
help control flies.
Dung beetles in Texas utilize 80 percent
of cattle droppings in some areas.
One study showed a horse manure pile
disappearing within 24 hours. The only thing left was some fluffy unwanted
plant material.
The beetles improve soil by loosening the
dirt, increasing aeration and providing access holes
for water infiltration. Scattering the manure increases organic
material in the ground and increases water retention.
By burying or scattering manure piles, dung
beetles decrease fly populations.
When cattle were introduced to
Australia, bush fly numbers increased. Native dung beetles refused to
utilize the cattle feces. In 1967 a plan to import dung beetles from
Africa and Europe was implemented. The project continues and is very
successful.
If you want to maintain a healthy dung beetle population, plan
ahead when you use de-wormers containing ivermectin. Ivermectin
is toxic to dung beetle eggs and larvae. Try to use these de-wormers
after a hard killing frost (when you should de-worm for bots anyway) and in
the spring before warm weather sets in. If you use an ivermectin
product in the summer try to avoid using it right after rain, as dung beetles
seem to be more active then. The chemical is only present in the manure
for a few days. Other de-worming products don't seem to be as toxic, so
schedule your rotational chart accordingly.
Unfortunately the dung beetle won't
replace the manure fork, but it's nice to know you have an ally in manure
management!
Click here to watch a video: https://youtu.be/Y2SNLcuUaKE
* For information
about nutrition and horse care take the online courses Nutrition For
Maximum Performance and Stable
Management taught by Eleanor Blazer.
Go https://www.equinestudiesinstitute.org/
for more information.
Visit Eleanor's web site at www.thewayofhorses.com
Copyright©thewayofhorses
Eleanor Blazer
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