Dung Beetles | |||||||||||||||||
Why not breed African Dung Beetles that can survive in climates like the US. You could send off for them at your favorite online pet store, toss them in the yard, and no more pickup.
Puddinhead, Jun 19 2004
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I not quite sure what you mean. What do they do?
I think the point is to go after pet droppings.
There are dung beetles that live in the US, I study insects and beetles and have found dung beetles in and around dog poop in the past. The beetles roll some of the poop, not all of it, into a perfectly round ball. They then bury it and lay eggs in it. These beetles also like dead animals, or carrion, they can bury a whole squirrel/cat/opposom and then lay their eggs in the carcass underground. Interestingly, the adult beetles "feed" little pieces of rotton animal/poop to their young which look like a type of maggot. Probably more than what you wanted to know. But, if the dung beetles did not already exist, the poop and dead animals would be alot more abundant.
Dung beetles that clean up after other animals like elephants do so in an environment where animals roam freely & at large. They're not kept in one enclosure where feces accumulate like a pet dog in the back yard. To look after the amount of waste we'd have a lot more dung beetles than most would prefer. And the feces wouldn't be removed right away. We'd have to wait till enough beetles took care of it. I think most people would find it better cleaning up rather than waiting for the beetles to get it done.
Cutting & fertilizing a lawn would disturb the beetles & it's been noted that where human habitation is greatest, dung beetle populations fall off drastically. I don't think many would wish to leave their backyards go to waste just so they wouldn't have to clean up after a dog.
But on a larger scale, I'd read that Sydney Australia imported 25,000 French, North African & Spanish dung beetles to clean up the streets 'cause dog owners didn't. No word on how well this went. If anyone else knows, I'd like to hear of this.
Actually, I found this site while searching for someone that sells them! I thought I had seen them through a garden supply place but haven't found it again. If anyone knows of an outlet, please let me know. :)