Dung beetle update

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As I've reported previously, over the last 2 years we've released two species of dung beetles at Moora and one type at our leased farm.

The first were released in March 2010 only at Moora - when things were still very dry.  They were Geotrupes spiniger.  Earlier this year we released some Bubus bison - at both properties.

As I was walking starting to do some paddock harrowing a few weeks ago I noticed that quite a few cow pats looked a bit 'disturbed'. 

I haven't had any feedback from the supplier yet, but I suspect the G. spiniger to have been at work.

As I understand it they burrow through the cow pat and into the ground - and then as much as a metre into the ground - where they lay their eggs in a ball of cow manure.

My paddock harrows spread things around a bit, but they don't dig metre long tunnels and bury the dung in deep in the root zone.

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