Dung Beetles
Dung Beetle Competition!
Hey Kids!
These school holidays Watershed Landcare is running a Dung Beetle Competition, with the grand prize of $100 cash to the beetle hunter (or team of beetle hunters) who find the most different species from one farm.
The competition is open to town and farm kids who have access to a farm to collect beetles.
Here's how to enter:
STEP 1 - choose a farm to collect from, and go out hunting!
- Select dung pads which have a margin of fresh soil around them
- Approach the dung pads quietly so that the beetles do not crash dive down their tunnels
- Use a long-handled shovel to scoop up the dung and 2cm of soil underneath the dung pad
- Place soil, grass and dung into a bucket
- Fill the bucket with cold water and stir gently
- Collect beetles as they float to the surface
SHEEP VERSUS COW DUNG... please note, the Mudgee district does not yet have any known sheep dung beetles! Feel free to use the above methodology to see if you can find any sheep dung beetles, however the main beetles known in our area are those that bury cattle dung.
STEP 2 - prepare the beetles for postage!
- Kill the beetles in hot water
- Dry beetles for two days on newspaper (out of direct sunlight)
- Select a 3-4 beetle sample of what you think might be a one species (it's best to do this job out in sunlight, so you can see properly)
- Place this species sample into match box (do not include cotton wool or sticky tape)
- Repeat the process until you have a 3-4 beetle sample for each different species of dung beetle you find
HOW DO I GUESS IF IT IS A DIFFERENT SPECIES?
Just like a dog is a different to a fox, it is probably a different species of dung beetle if it...
- is a different colour
- is a different size
- if you are unsure, include it in your sample... but remember you can only submit a total maximum of 25 beetles for your FREE IDENTIFICATION!
STEP 3 - post your samples...
SOILCAM – Free Identification Service
Mr John Feehan
3 Prell Place
HACKETT ACT 2602
The samples must be accompanied by the following information:
- Your name
- Your postal address
- Your telephone number
- a road map clearly showing the location of your property in relation to the largest nearby towns
- A stamped self-addressed envelope
STEP 4: ENTER our competition!
After a couple of weeks, you will receive your dung beetle identification results! Including:
- the identified CSIRO-introduced species present on your farm;
- additional introduced dung beetle species suitable for your climate; and
- a list of those species which SOILCAM can supply and the approximate cost, which will depend on availability and ease of harvesting.
NOW... Email, fax or post a copy of these results with your contact details to:
Watershed Landcare
PO Box 575
Mudgee NSW 2850
fax 6372 4321
The entry with the highest number of different species from one farm will receive $100 cash plus a species booster pack of dung beetles for the farm!
About Dung Beetles...
In 2011, we invited internationally recognised Dung Beetle Guru - John Feehan, to join our Landcare lecture program at the Mudgee Mudgee Small Farm Field Days.
Fast Facts...
- dung beetles bury dung to provide a food source for their eggs (the hatched larvae only need a tiny bit of the dung buried)
- this buried dung, and the tunnels that lead to it, does wonders for the soil, increasing water infiltration and holding capacity. This means we can keep and use more mm of the rain that falls
- different kinds of dung (sheep / cow / kangaroo) needs different species of dung beetles
- 200 years ago, when Europeans introduced domestic livestock, they forgot to bring the right beetles!
- to date, 44 species of dung beetle have been introduced to Australia, with 32 of these now establised. These beetles work primarily on cattle dung, with only 2-3 species at their climatic limits.
- no beetles have been introduced for sheep manure yet!! (think 70 million sheep...!)
- "worth far more than a tonne of fertiliser, the valuable impact from the right dung beetles on your farm will also last longer" John Feehan
Read more about dung beetles in our regular Mudgee Guardian column:
Field day speakers discuss healthy bodies and healthy soils
How to take advantage of "Free Fertiliser"
Or here are some great websites:
http://dungbeetleexpert.com.au/
And for a free resource pack http://www.landcarevic.net.au/news/dung-beetle-resource-package
Click on the attachment link below to download your FREE dung beetle identification service form.
John Feehan's visit to Mudgee was supported by Watershed Landcare, through funding from the Australian Governments' Caring for our Country.
