Dung Beetles

[Little Joe]

Huh... I haven't seen any since I was a kid in Tennessee. None in Arkansas, South Dakota, or the western states. Do they require more moisture? Humidity? Why weren't there any in Arkansas?

I have dung beetles ocassionally but not consistently, not sure why. I am careful about using Ivermectin only in the cool season when they're not active and I generally don't worm adult cows unless I just bought them. I use very little fly spray as well so not sure hy we don't have more of them. We used to have egrets as well but rarely see any of those anymore either.

 

[Brute 23]

I hate to even get on this deal but it's a chain reaction. When we kill the weeds that support the bugs we take out two major food sources for the birds.

It starts a vicious cycle. You can really see it if you go from heavily populated "cattle country" to areas that are just left alone.

 

[Nick Wagner]

One of the points that I make when I do a presentation at grazing/soil health meetings... My custom grazed herd owner insists on using larvicide in the mineral. I hate it... There's more flies on his cattle than on my herd without it. And I see WAY less "activity" from dung beetles, etc., on those cowpies than I do on my own herd (two different farms).

I have a video on my phone of beetles landing on and diving in and then swimming back out of a fresh cow pie. Have never seen one of those roller beetles here. Been maybe 15 years since I've used any wormer.

 

[Chuckie]

Hi Jan,
I have not been feeling so hot lately. Went to the Orthopedic doctor this past Monday on Feb. 10th. He said let's try a cortisone shot with a bit of a numbing agent. Did that and I can tell it feels a little better, but can still hear the grinding. Go back March 10. This doctor does partial knee replacements where they do much less invasive surgery. It heals quicker too. I am excited about that. I do hope that you are doing well and looking forward to some warmer weather. I see the spring greens are shooting up all around here. Reminds me of that salad mix they have in Walmart called, "Spring Greens," which is what is growing here. Skunks are out dating now, so that means Spring is around the corner. Thank goodness!!

 

[Chuckie]

One more on Dung Beetles. We used to have the rollers all the time. But at the time, we had horses and I wonder if the rollers prefer the consistency of the horse dung to form balls vs. Cow splatter. But we still have a large population of the tunnelers which form mounds of soil around the cow pile itself. I agree that the insecticides are changing our world. There are not near the birds that we used to have here. Used to, I would see birds lining the electric wires. Now I see a Cardinal here and there, and an occasional Blue Jay. Even though Doves are seed eaters, I saw a pair a couple of days ago. They were one of our greatest population in this area. People like to shoot them for fun doing hunting season and they don't even eat them. I used to hear their calls all the time. I cannot remember hearing a single one last year. Meadow Larks were a big population years ago along with the Quail. I saw one Meadow Lark last year, and did not hear a single Quail.

 

[hurleyjd]

My

Hi Jan,
I have not been feeling so hot lately. Went to the Orthopedic doctor this past Monday on Feb. 10th. He said let's try a cortisone shot with a bit of a numbing agent. Did that and I can tell it feels a little better, but can still hear the grinding. Go back March 10. This doctor does partial knee replacements where they do much less invasive surgery. It heals quicker too. I am excited about that. I do hope that you are doing well and looking forward to some warmer weather. I see the spring greens are shooting up all around here. Reminds me of that salad mix they have in Walmart called, "Spring Greens," which is what is growing here. Skunks are out dating now, so that means Spring is around the corner. Thank goodness!

Wife had both knees done in 2024. Total replacement. Robotic surgery takes thirty minutes. She was kept over night an sent home the next day home are therapy. She has done very well with the knees. She is 82 years old. One done in Jan. the other the latter part of May.

 

[greybeard]

This time of year, you have to be careful where you park if there are overhead power or data lines.
There are many thousands and thousands of all kinds of birds all over Killeen and Cove. I wasn't paying attention a couple weeks ago and when wife and I came out of our favorite mexican cafe, my white truck was almost covered in bird poop. Some places it's grackles, some places white wing, some places pigeons, walmart is always some kind of Chnese bird. ..little bitty things. .

 

[hurleyjd]

This time of year, you have to be careful where you park if there are overhead power or data lines.
There are many thousands and thousands of all kinds of birds all over Killeen and Cove. I wasn't paying attention a couple weeks ago and when wife and I came out of our favorite mexican cafe, my white truck was almost covered in bird poop. Some places it's grackles, some places white wing, some places pigeons, walmart is always some kind of Chnese bird. ..little bitty things. .

I watched a TV show about a man and his red tailed hawk. it was in the Dallas area and about an outside restaurant. The grackles would show up and roast in the trees over night. The man let the hawk lose and the hawk would kill a bird an drop it and go after another.
The grackles did not show up the next night.

 

[greybeard]

Did the hawk return home to the restaurant owner?

 

[Mark Reynolds]

I've never seen any in western Washington but I've read about them. They sound very beneficial and it sounds like you can import them, but i think they would have to be able to swim pretty well where i live.

More than just be able to swim. They would require gills there.

 

[Chuckie]

Thank you for telling me this hurlyjd. I go back the 10th and am anxious to have this done. You give me more hope.