Dung beetles in Australia.

[carragheendexters]

Hi Everyone,
some years ago I went to a workshop and field day held by our local Small Farm Network that I belong to. The guest speaker was a dung beetle expert by the name of John Feehan, he was so passionate about dung beetles and fascinating to listen to.

Fifty odd years ago in Australia, we only had native dung beetles that would only work dung from our native animals (kangaroos, wombats etc) they didn't touch introduced specie's (such as cattle) dung. After 150 odd years of dung being deposited, the fly situation was pretty horrible. The poor city folk hated the battles they had with flies at their picnics, barbies etc, and the Great Australian salute was born , aka fly swatting.

The CSIRO, and in particular  dung beetle expert John Feehan was given a grant to find the right dung beetles throughout the world, and bring them back to Australia. He went to Africa and Europe and sourced beetles that would match the environmental conditions throughout different parts of Australia and that would work the dung problem. They brought in many different species, all with a different way of working, and to cover all seasonal and environmental situations.

Nowadays, 50 years, on the dung beetles have naturalised and are doing a fantastic job. On our property we have quite a few different species, all working at different times of the day and different seasons. I just love to hear the big black ones buzzing around at dusk finding pats, sound almost like helicopters. Many commit suicide in the water troughs or on the barbed wire.
A quick check of the paddocks show the dung buried in 1 to 2 days, all you see is a pile of dirt on the surface where they have piled it up.
We don't have a big fly problem, yes, we do have a few  but they don't cause a problem, and in particular we have blow flies (they don't breed in the dung but rather in carcasses or even in poor live sheep or in wounds of other animals, we've had a few fly blown sheep, around their pizzle and tracking up). These flies we trap using rotten meat as bait.

So from no dung beetles in Australia to a healthy population that keeps flies under control in less than 50 years is pretty remarkable. Thanks John Feehan and CSIRO.

Sorry to bore you with such a long post, but thought some people might find it interesting to read of the success of dung beetles over here.

BTW, an observation, those drenches that state they are dung beetle safe actually state in their disclaimer or claimer whichever way you wish to read it, that the drench has no LONGTERM effect on dung beetle populations. Hmmmm, does that mean that in the short term it does?
regards Louise

[Gorignak]

ALWAYS scared of introducing new species...BUT I'LL APPLAUD LOUDLY FOR THIS ONE. Now, you need a predator that eats bunnies and only needs a liter of water a year.

There are areas/segments of our flora and fauna that are collapsing under the assault of invasive species. I appreciate how hard your govt works for you in that regard. you should see all the paperwork and certificates I have to get to import a piece of furniture into AU. The crating requires the same certification as the wood in the furniture.

Hey, thanks for the "Emerald Ash Borer" from Indonesia. Our Chestnut forest were eradicated by a blight....our Elm forests were eradicated bu a fungus....and our Ash forests are following fast from the shiny green borer that kills them in a jiffy and spreads on the wind.

BEE careful.....oh yeah, the roar of honeybees in our forests has fallen silent.
Don't get me started.

The dung beetle success is great though, I have posted much on the fly control thread about our success. I just slaughtered all our year's chickens....and we are swamped with a new hatch of flies in one field. We had zero previously.

[honeybun]

Hi,

I can second the wonderful job John Feehan is STILL doing to further the introduction of dung beetles to rural Australia. About 10 years ago, groups of farmers in our region jointly participated in a mass release of colonies under the auspices of the CSIRO. These seem to have largely fizzled out.

We now have an enthusiastic local person who has galvanised several landholders in our area to host John on another visit to find out what is going on here in the Gloucester, NSW area. In common with other farmers, we have found that our dung beetle population has disappeared and this is what he is going to investigate.

On another point: I asked him about the effect of diatomaceous earth on dung beetles and he confessed he didn't know any scientific evidence either way. My instinct says that it will damage the DB population when it gets into the cow pat. Anyone else think the same way?

[carragheendexters]

Hi Honeybun,

are you from up Gloucester way then? You guys have had it pretty dry up there for a while haven't you. Dung beetles don't do well in dry weather, the ground is so hard and they just seem to disappear. We had none working over the summer, it has been so dry since Sept/Oct, and the beetles haven't been working at all, they have virtually gone.

However over the last few weeks we have had a lot of rain, and I couldn't believe it when out in the paddocks today, there was evidence that we have some back. Not many workings, but a few. Hopefully they will increase in the near future, too many hard dried out pats sitting in my paddocks.

Funny man isn't he? Just so passionate.

regards Louise

[zephyrhillsusan]

I remember seeing dung beetles in far West Texas where it's pretty dry, about 7 inches of rainfall in a good year.  I was wondering where they go when it's dry and googled it to see, and up poppedthis website.  

[legendrockranch]

I'm just thankful we have two different types of dung beetles. Very few of the rollers, we only see them after moisture. Which has been few and far between these days.

Barb

[ssrdex]

Thanks for the link Susan, I'll be sneaking up on some cow poo tomorrow

[carragheendexters]

Hi Everyone,

yes Susan this is the guy I wrote about and his website. He is just so passionate about dung beetles. I recently listened on the radio to an interview with him, and he is just so funny. He was going on about people driving over cow pats with their farm trucks and tractors and just how angry it makes him, and he was getting really upset when talking about it, LOL, he thinks people should drive around them so as not to harm and disturb the dung beetles.

Joel, yes you have to be really quiet and very quick or else they do scamper. I have tried to collect them to send off to him for identifying, so that we could perhaps add some other species to give us extra yearly coverage. I was useless, way too slow. I ended up with dung and soil, but NO beetles hahaha.

He sells them, but they are not cheap. A few hundred dollars per colony if my memory serves me right.

Barb, they do seem to come back after a drought once you get the rain. We have had rain and they are just starting to work again. Here's hoping you get some rain soon too.

regards Louise

[zephyrhillsusan]

yes Susan this is the guy I wrote about and his website. He is just so passionate about dung beetles. I recently listened on the radio to an interview with him, and he is just so funny. He was going on about people driving over cow pats with their farm trucks and tractors and just how angry it makes him, and he was getting really upset when talking about it, LOL, he thinks people should drive around them so as not to harm and disturb the dung beetles.

Read more: dextercattle.proboards.com/thread/3545/dung-beetles-australia#ixzz2yLI4CsRy

  I really hate to say it, but of the animal welfare issues worrying me, driving over cow pats and possibly disturbing dung beetles is about down there just one rung above family intervention with earwigs who are NOT good mothers! 

[carragheendexters]

Hi Susan,

Yes, that's about I how I feel about them too. He is just so passionate about them, he was getting really angry and upset just talking about it. Just so funny.

Are earwigs bad mothers? You wouldn't know it, they must have lots of babies then to make up for it. We are over run with them in the warmer months, absolutely everywhere, thousands upon thousands, you even find them in your bed sometimes. We spray but it makes not one iota of difference to the numbers. Hate the little blighters.

regards Louise

PS I just thought of something, he would be REALLY UPSET with you harrowing your paddocks. How could you? LOL

[zephyrhillsusan]

I hate earwigs, too--they are so creepy! Somewhere years ago I read in a book (can't remember which one now, maybe one of Agatha Christie's) that "earwigs make good mothers." That one phrase stuck in my head for some reason. but it doesn't make me like them any better!

True, he would find my pasture activity absolutely harrowing for the poor beetles. . Believe me, if they'd come roll the dung, I wouldn't harrow it! I've never seen one ever since we've lived here. I don't even know if they exist in this part of the country, but I wish we had them.

[carragheendexters]

Hi Susan,

Isn't it funny the things that you remember. Hmmm, may have to read the Agatha Christie books to find that bit. LOL
Earwigs bite too, with those big nipper things they have on the back, and it really does hurt somewhat.

I wonder if you would be able to naturalise some in your area? Then you wouldn't have to harrow, and it would improve the fertility of your soil.
Why not contact John Feehan. You know he may just be able to help and give some advice. I am sure he would love to talk to you, that is as long as you were talking about dung beetles. Worth a try!

regards Louise