Dung Beetles
Dung Beetle
The dung beetle: a tiny, often overlooked insect that offers big benefits for soil health, animal welfare, and farm productivity.
When we think about improving soil health or boosting pasture productivity, we usually think of compost, fertiliser, grazing plans, or maybe cover crops. But what if the real heroes of healthy land management were already under our feet—hiding in dung?
Enter the dung beetle: a tiny, often overlooked insect that offers big benefits for soil health, animal welfare, and farm productivity. Whether you're running a large livestock operation or managing a small mixed holding, these incredible creatures can help regenerate your land with almost no effort on your part.
Let’s take a friendly deep dive into the world of dung beetles, and why every farmer—conventional or regenerative—should be giving them a warm welcome.
What Are Dung Beetles?
Dung beetles (part of the Scarabaeidae family) are part of a remarkable group of insects that are primary decomposers that feed on and nest in dung in the ecosystem.
Dung beetles use manure for both food and reproduction. But they don’t just sit on the surface. Depending on the species, they either roll it away (Rollers / Telecoprids), tunnel underneath and bury it (Tunnellers / Paracoprids), live and breed inside the dung itself (Dwellers / Endocoprids), or cheekily steal dung from other beetles (Stealers, aka Kleptocoprids).
Globally, scientists have identified over 9,500 species explains the Natural History Museum, and in the UK, we’re lucky to have around 88 species across three main groups:
- Aphodiines (‘dwellers’ and ‘stealers’) - Live in the dung - Size: 3-13mm in length
- Onthophagus (‘tunnellers’) - Size: 4-11mm in length
- Geotrupes (Dor Beetles) (‘tunnellers’) - Size: 8-26mm in length
Multiple dung beetle species can often be found using the same dung pat, but each tends to have its own preferences—such as the type or age of the dung, soil conditions, or how much sunlight the spot receives. These differing habits help them share the resource without directly competing.
These insects may seem small and simple, but their role in the ecosystem—and on your farm—is anything but.
Why Farmers Should Love Dung Beetles
Natural Manure Management
Dung beetles are the original muck spreaders. By feeding on and burying dung, they accelerate its decomposition and distribute nutrients into the soil. This not only improves soil fertility and faster nutrient cycling but also reduces the surface dung load, making pastures more palatable for livestock.
Put simply, dung beetles don’t just clean up—they recycle.
You could say they turn poo into pasture.
Soil Aeration and Structure
As dung beetles dig and tunnel beneath dung pats, they naturally aerate the soil, creating networks of small channels that allow air and water to penetrate more deeply. This supports soil microbial life, reduces compaction, and improves the structure and water-holding capacity.
Boosting land’s water-holding capacity, helping the soil store moisture during dry periods—a key element of drought resilience in changing climates.
Improved Fertility
The nutrient-rich dung that beetles bury is like a slow-release fertiliser right at the roots. This supports healthier plants, better pasture growth, and more nutrient-dense forage for your livestock.
What can Dung Beetles do for your farm?
Ecosystem Services: Free Labour from the Underground
In ecological terms, dung beetles are considered providers of ecosystem services—the beneficial functions that support life and farming. Here’s what they bring to your regenerative system:
Nutrient Cycling
By burying dung, they return soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium back into the soil.
Pest Control
They help break the lifecycle of pests such as:
- Dung flies
- Gastrointestinal parasites (by removing breeding grounds)
This means healthier livestock and lower vet bills. And that’s not just good biology—it’s good business.
Seed Dispersal
Dung beetles act as secondary seed dispersers. Many seeds eaten by livestock are deposited in dung and would be eaten by rodents or birds if left exposed. But beetles bury these seeds, giving them a chance to germinate.
The Pasture Rotation Power Team: Cattle, Beetles & Chickens
Many regenerative farms are now using clever rotational systems where cattle, chickens, and dung beetles all work together to build soil health. Creating a full cycle system.
Here’s how it works:
- Cattle graze a pasture. (mob grazing)
- Dung beetles quickly get to work—within hours—burying and processing manure.
- Around 98 hours later, chickens are brought in using mobile coops (aka egg-mobiles).
- The chickens:
Scratch through leftover dung
Feed on fly larvae and other invertebrates
Further spread nutrients
Add their own high-nitrogen manure to the land
This creates a nutrient-dense, biologically active soil that supports strong plant growth—without synthetic fertilisers.
Supporting Biodiversity and Wildlife
Healthy dung beetle populations also support wider farm biodiversity. By enriching soil and supporting microbes, beetles indirectly benefit:
Worms
Soil fungi
Predatory insects
Ground-feeding birds
Bats (which eat beetles!)
That’s why many conservation-minded farms view dung beetles as keystone species—removing them would collapse an entire support system.
There’s a Problem: Dung Beetles Are in Decline
Despite all they do for us, dung beetles are under threat—especially in the UK.
Chemical Use
Many modern wormers (especially macrocyclic lactones like ivermectin) pass through livestock unchanged and remain active in their dung. This dung becomes toxic to beetles—especially for the young developing larvae.
Loss of Habitat
Hedgerow removal, overgrazing, and poor pasture management can also reduce the food and habitat dung beetles need.
How You Can Support Dung Beetles on Your Farm
Even small changes can make a big difference. Here’s how to make your land dung beetle–friendly:
Use Beetle-Safe Wormers
Avoid routine worming—use faecal egg counts instead.
Choose low-toxicity or short-residue options.
Rotate wormer types and time applications away from turnout.
Graze with Purpose
Rotate livestock to avoid build-up of dung and parasites.
Allow rest periods for beetle populations to recover and thrive.
Consider Mob Grazing
Leave Some Dung
Avoid harrowing too soon.
Let dung beetles have a chance to colonise before disturbing it.
Maintain Field Margins & Hedgerows
These offer shelter and overwintering sites.
Beetles need refuge areas between pasture periods.
The Dung Bettle
Dung beetles may be small, but they bring massive value to any farming system. From improving soil health and manure management, to supporting biodiversity and reducing chemical inputs, these humble creatures are perfect allies in building regenerative farms.
So next time you see beetles in the dung/pat, give it a silent nod of thanks. It’s working harder than you think.
Research and Information
British Scarabs: Help people find, identify, record and conserve scarabs in the UK. Advice on scarab conservation.
Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm (The Bug Farm) : Research, education and vistor centre Wales.
Dung Bettles For Farmers: Information on the benefits of dung beetles for farmers.
The Dung Beetle Trust: Protecting dung beetles through research, conservation and innovation
How do dung beetles' diets keep the world clean? : The Natural History Museum
Food safety: Dung beetles and soil bacteria reduce risk of human pathogens: British Ecological Society
Research
The application of an ecosystem services framework to estimate the economic value of dung beetles to the U.K. cattle industry: The Royal Entomology Society
Dung beetles reduce livestock gastrointestinal parasite availability on pasture: British Ecological Society
Importance of restoration of dung beetles in the maintenance of ecosystem services: The Royal Entomology Society
The application of an ecosystem services framework to estimate the economic value of dung beetles to the U.K. cattle industry: The Royal Entomology Society
Dung beetle–mammal associations: methods, research trends and future directions:
Dung Beetle Benefits In The Pasture Ecosystem:
Dung Beetles of Central and Eastern North Carolina Cattle Pastures:
Predation on Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): A Literature Review:
Functionally rich dung beetle assemblages are required to provide multiple ecosystem services:
Species-specific effects of dung beetle abundance on dung removal and leaf litter decomposition:
