November 4, 2015
Say hello to this hard-working little guy, who not only cleans up after cattle … he also improves soil health.
He (or she – yes, there is a difference, no we can’t tell) is a dung beetle – more formally, a native Orthophagus spp – and was just one of the many tiny stars at the South Burnett Grazing Network’s special seminar in Kingaroy on Monday.
Dr Bernard Doube, from Dung Beetle Solutions Australia, was brought to the South Burnett with assistance from the Burnett Mary Regional Group and Landcare to speak to local graziers.
Interest in a seminar about insects and dung was surprisingly strong, with the Town Hall Reception Room packed with almost 80 people for the event.
They came from all over the South Burnett, as well as Gympie, Toogoolawah and Gin Gin. Who knew that poo could prove so interesting?
Dr Doube described native and imported dung beetles currently at work in Australian paddocks, plus other imported species which he hopes will soon gain approval from the Federal Government.
Dung beetles eat and breed in manure. As well as reducing the number of flies and parasites that can breed in cattle pats, they also recycle important nutrients back into the soil.
The graziers had been invited to bring along dung beetle samples from their paddocks. Many took the opportunity, bringing in both alive and dead beetles for identification.
Leslie Hansen, from Kandanga, brought in a display board of pinned specimens which she had rounded up by torchlight and then humanely despatched with metho.
Other beetles were still wandering about their plastic containers and glass jars, probably looking for a cowpat to roll up.
After the seminar, ID parade and lunch, the graziers visited local farmer Michael Carroll’s property to see the results of dung beetles in action.
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