How Can You Find Dung Beetles in Your Backyard?

Dung beetles, at first glace, seem like rather disgusting insects. True to their name, most dung beetles collect feces, roll it into a ball and then bury it underground. There, the female beetles lay eggs in the feces. When the eggs hatch, the young larvae eat their way out of their makeshift nest. While this seems unappealing to humans, dung beetles are actually beneficial, especially to gardeners. They can decompose feces very quickly, turning the waste into nutrients that make for healthy soil. If you have the right kind of environment, you may be able to find dung beetles in your yard.

Instructions

- 1
  Leave fresh droppings in your backyard after allowing your dog or other pet to eliminate waste there. Droppings from a cow, goat or other herbivore are even more attractive to the beetles. Dung beetles are attracted only to fresh feces, since they cannot get nutrients from dry droppings.
- 2
  Wait for it to rain. Dung beetles tend to live in underground tunnels, coming out when the weather is wet to search for food.
- 3
  Look at the droppings occasionally. You may see a dung beetle rolling the droppings into a ball. Other beetles flatten the waste into a patty so it seems to blend in with the soil. Examine the waste patty for small holes on the surface. This can indicate dung beetles at work.
- 4
  Dig about 6 inches into the ground if you cannot observe dung beetles on the surface. Dung beetles, when not at work on the surface, spend their time in underground tunnels. Do this only if absolutely necessary, since digging disturbs the dung beetle's habitat.

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