Nature's Tillers! Why Dung Beetles Are Worth Their Weight in Gold

If you told me ten years ago that I'd write a love letter to an insect that lives in cow manure, I'd have questioned your sanity. But here we are. Because here's the truth: dung beetles might be the most underappreciated workforce in Texas ranching. These scarab beetles are working 24/7, processing animal dung, aerating soil, controlling pests, and cycling nutrients—all without asking for a paycheck, benefits, or even a lunch break. Dung beetles are found on every continent except Antarctica, and for good reason—wherever there are herbivores and omnivores producing poop, there are dung beetles ready to bury the dung and recycle those nutrients.

The economic math on dung beetles is staggering. We're talking about insects that deliver hundreds of millions of dollars in value to U.S. cattle operations annually. One study in Florida found that dung beetle populations provide between $918,000 to $1.36 million per year in additional income per ranching operation, depending on dung beetle abundance. That's real money. That's the difference between profitable and break-even for many Texas ranchers.

Free Labor That Actually Shows Up

Let me paint you a picture. You've got cattle on pasture. Each cow drops about twelve dung pats per day. With a hundred head, that's 1,200 pats daily. Without dung beetles, those pats sit there—fouling pasture, breeding flies, tying up nutrients, and making your cows avoid perfectly good grass around the dung pile. Research shows that unmanaged cattle dung can reduce available grazing acreage by 5-10% because cattle won't graze near their own manure. The dung pat just sits there, smothering plant growth underneath while cattle avoid the rank vegetation growing around it.

Dung beetles change everything. A healthy dung beetle population can completely remove a cow pat from the surface within 24 hours. Adult dung beetles and their larvae feed on the dung, while tunnelers bury it, dwellers break it apart from within, and rollers create dung balls to roll away for burial. Think about that—free, around-the-clock waste management that actually improves your land instead of degrading it.

The Economic Benefits Stack Up Fast

The ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture Program breaks down dung beetle benefits into several categories, and every single one translates to money in your pocket:

Nitrogen Recycling: When manure sits on the surface, up to 80% of its nitrogen volatilizes into the atmosphere. You're literally watching your free fertilizer disappear. Dung beetles bury that manure fast, reducing nitrogen loss to just 5-15%. The dung beetle larvae only use about 40-50% of the brood ball before pupating, leaving behind nutrient-rich organic matter that soil microbes convert into plant-available nutrients. That's fertilizer you don't have to buy. When female beetles lay their eggs in these brood balls underground, they're essentially creating little packets of slow-release fertilizer at root level where plant material can actually use it.

Pest Fly Control: Here's where it gets really interesting. A single unprotected cow pat can produce 60-80 adult horn flies. Research from Dr. George Bornemissza showed that 95% fewer horn flies emerged from cow pats inhabited by Onthophagus gazella beetles compared to pats where dung beetles were excluded. Face flies and buffalo flies breed within the dung too. Dung beetles compete with fly larvae for the dung as a food source and physically damage fly eggs. When adult beetles feed and tunnel through fresh dung, they disrupt fly breeding habitat. The result? Dramatically reduced fly populations. Fewer flies mean healthier cattle, better weight gains, and less money spent on fly control products.

Parasite Control: Gastrointestinal parasites pass through cattle in their manure. The eggs hatch into larvae that develop on grass and reinfect your herd when cattle graze. But dung beetles break that cycle. When dung beetles bury dung quickly, parasite eggs and larvae perish before they can reach the infective stage. One Australian study found a complex of 20 dung beetle species produced an average 85% reduction in parasitic worm populations. That's dewormer you don't have to buy and healthier cattle that gain weight faster. By burying fresh cattle dung before parasites can mature, dung beetles act as natural pest control agents.

Increased Forage Production: Buried dung releases nutrients at root level where plants can actually use them. The tunnels dung beetles create as they burrow aerate soil and improve water infiltration. Better soil structure, more available nutrients, improved water retention—all of this adds up to more grass per acre. Studies show that dung beetle activity increases forage production enough to support additional cattle on the same acreage. In Florida research, ranches with high dung beetle populations could support 545 more cows per ranch compared to operations with low beetle numbers. That's the power of these scarab beetles—they don't just clean up dung, they actually boost plant growth and improve your entire ecosystem.

The Australian Wake-Up Call

Australia learned this lesson the hard way. When European settlers brought cattle to Australia starting in 1788, they created an ecological disaster. Australia's native dung beetles had evolved to process dry, fibrous dung from herbivores like kangaroos and wallabies—not large, moist cow pats. Australian scarab beetles prefer dung from herbivores that produce small, dry pellets. Without beetles adapted to cattle dung to break it down, cow dung accumulated on pastures for months or even years, fouling up to 200,000 hectares of grazing land annually. The accumulated dung heap problem was so severe that it threatened the viability of the Australian cattle industry.

The CSIRO Australian Dung Beetle Project ran from 1964 to 1985, importing 55 species of dung beetles from Africa, Europe, and Hawaii. These African dung beetles and European species had co-evolved with cattle and were perfectly adapted to process cattle dung. Of the 55 introduced species, 23 dung beetle species successfully established in Australian rangelands. The results were dramatic: bush fly populations dropped by 90%, pasture fouling decreased significantly, and ranchers saw measurable improvements in forage production. Hungarian entomologist Dr. George Bornemissza, who led the program, described the successful beetle release in 1968 as "a red letter day in the program." He earned a Medal of the Order of Australia for his work.

The Australian program continues today. As recently as 2012-2014, researchers imported Onthophagus vacca and Bubas bubalus from France and Spain to fill gaps in beetle activity during early spring months when native dung beetle populations weren't active. These true dung beetles that scientists group dung beetles within the family Scarabaeidae are specifically adapted to cooler climates. That's how valuable these insects are—countries invest millions in research and importation programs to establish healthy beetle populations. When you see a dung beetle rolling a dung ball across a pasture, you're watching an ecological service worth millions.

Regenerative Ranching's Secret Weapon

Talk to any serious regenerative rancher and they'll tell you: dung beetles are non-negotiable. These insects are ecosystem engineers that accelerate every process regenerative agriculture depends on—nutrient cycling, soil building, water infiltration, and biodiversity. The way dung beetles use their incredible strength—some species can pull loads up to 1,141 times their own body weight—makes them nature's most efficient recyclers.

Greg Judy, the Missouri regenerative rancher who's become something of a legend in holistic grazing circles, regularly talks about the biological wealth that mob grazing builds. When you're moving cattle frequently through tight paddocks—like Greg does with his twice-daily or three-times-daily moves—you're concentrating manure and creating ideal conditions for dung beetle populations to explode. Dung beetles search for fresh dung, and when it's concentrated rather than scattered, beetle populations thrive. More dung beetles mean faster nutrient cycling, which means faster grass recovery, which means you can stock more animals on the same ground.

Alejandro Carrillo, a rancher in Mexico's Chihuahuan Desert, told researchers at Chico State University that dung beetles break down manure in just a few days on his regenerative ranch, then termites take over in winter. "They return everything to the soil," Carrillo said. "It's a beautiful process, a work of art." He specifically avoids dewormers like ivermectin that kill dung beetles, choosing instead to preserve the natural soil cycle that these insects make possible. Protecting dung beetles means protecting your soil health investment.

This is biblical stewardship in action. God designed these creatures with specific roles in maintaining healthy grasslands—ancient Egyptians even revered scarab beetles as symbols of the god of the rising sun because they witnessed how these insects emerged from dung balls to create new life. Our job as ranchers isn't to fight against that design with chemicals and mechanical interventions—it's to create conditions where these natural systems can flourish.

The Hidden Cost of Chemical Dewormers

Here's where conventional ranching shoots itself in the foot. Many popular dewormers—particularly the macrocyclic lactones like ivermectin and moxidectin—pass through cattle largely unchanged and remain toxic to insects in the manure. Research published in ATTRA's dung beetle guide shows that dung beetle larvae are highly susceptible to several common antiparasitic drugs. When larvae feed on the dung contaminated with these chemicals, they die before completing their life cycle.

Some chemicals like synthetic pyrethroids can devastate beetle populations. Others in the benzimidazole and levamisole/morantel groups have little to no effect on beetles. The key is understanding which products you're using and timing their use strategically. Some ranchers time dewormer use for fall, when beetle activity naturally decreases, or choose products specifically tested to be less harmful to dung beetles.

A 2021 NCBA survey found that 63% of cattle producers recognize dung beetles as having economic benefits to their operations. That number should be 100%. Because the math is simple: every dung beetle you kill with the wrong dewormer is costing you money in lost nutrient cycling, increased fly pressure, higher parasite loads, and reduced forage production.

What Dung Beetles Actually Do

There are three main types of dung beetles, and each plays a different role in breaking down animal dung:

Tunnelers dig vertical or sloped tunnels beneath dung pats, pulling pieces of dung down into the soil. These are your heavy lifters, moving large amounts of material deep into the soil profile where it feeds plant roots and soil microbes. Female beetles lay eggs in these underground tunnels within brood balls made from dung. The tunneler species like Onthophagus gazella excel at this work in warm climates. When tunnelers bury the dung, they're essentially turning each pat into a network of nutrient tunnels.

Dwellers actually live inside the dung pat and breed directly within it, breaking it apart from the inside out. They're often the first beetles to arrive at fresh dung. A dweller beetle will feast on the dung while simultaneously creating spaces for other beneficial insects. Their feeding and tunneling activity fragments the pat and accelerates decomposition. The female lays her eggs directly in the dung mass, and when dung beetle larvae hatch, they continue the breakdown process.

Rollers cut off a portion of the dung and roll it away from the main dung pile, sometimes traveling remarkable distances before burying the ball of dung. These are the beetles you see in nature documentaries, laboriously pushing perfect dung balls across the landscape. Dung beetles navigate using the stars and sun to roll it away from competing beetles. When they find a suitable spot, they bury the ball and lay their eggs inside. While they're entertaining to watch, the tunnelers and dwellers typically do more work in cattle pastures. But beetle rolling serves an important purpose—it spreads nutrients across a wider area and reduces competition at the source.

All three types work together as a community. The diversity matters. Different species are active at different times of day, different seasons, and prefer a variety of dung types from different herbivores. A healthy ranch supports many species of dung beetle, creating functional redundancy that keeps the system working year-round. Some species work in hot weather, others in cool. Some prefer fresh dung, others prefer aged. Together, they ensure that cattle dung gets processed quickly and efficiently.

Building Your Beetle Population

The good news: you probably already have some native dung beetle species on your Texas ranch. The better news: you can create conditions that let those populations explode.

Stop Using Beetle-Killing Chemicals: This is step one. Switch to dewormer products that are less toxic to dung beetles, or time your treatments strategically when beetles are less active. Your vet or county extension agent can help you choose alternatives that won't kill dung beetle larvae in the soil.

Increase Manure Concentration Through Grazing Management: Rotational grazing—moving cattle frequently through smaller paddocks—concentrates manure in areas where dung beetles can find it easily. Scattered dung across huge pastures means beetles waste energy searching for food. Concentrated dung in smaller areas means dung beetle populations can grow faster because their food source is abundant and easy to locate. When you see multiple beetles feeding on the same pat, that's efficiency.

Avoid Mechanical Spreading: When you break up cow pats with chain harrows or mechanical spreaders, you're destroying beetle habitat and interfering with their life cycle. Let the dung beetles do the spreading naturally through burial. It's more effective anyway—mechanically spread manure still sits on the surface losing nitrogen to volatilization. Beetle-buried dung underground goes straight to root level where plant communities can access it.

Maintain Diverse Forage: Different cattle diets produce different dung consistency, and dung beetles use different types. Beetles have preferences—some species prefer softer dung, others work well with drier material. A diverse pasture that includes legumes, forbs, and various grass species creates dung that supports multiple dung beetle species. Monoculture pastures might only support one or two species, limiting your workforce.

Provide Habitat: Some beetle species overwinter in or near dung. Others need woody debris, leaf litter, or undisturbed ground. Leaving some areas of pasture un-mowed, maintaining fence rows with native vegetation, and not burning or clearing every square inch of your property creates habitat for beetle populations to persist year-round. Think of it as protecting the housing for your free labor force.

How Dung Beetles Play Their Role in Nature

Understanding how dung beetles follow their instincts helps you appreciate why they're so effective. When a female dung beetle locates fresh cattle dung, she uses her antennae to assess its quality. Dung beetles prefer dung from herbivores because it contains partially digested plant material that's rich in nutrients—they generally avoid the dung of carnivores, which is less nutritious and harder to process.

Once a suitable dung pile is found, beetles feed on the liquid portion of the dung while using the solid material to create brood balls. A roller beetle will shape a ball of dung, sometimes incorporating much dung into a single sphere, then roll away from a dung pat to avoid competition with other beetles. Dung beetles navigate using celestial cues—they can orient themselves using the moon, stars, and even the Milky Way to move in straight lines.

The tunneling process is remarkable. As earth-boring dung beetles dig, they create extensive burrow systems that can extend two feet deep. They pull dung underground, creating brood chambers where each female lays a single egg in a carefully crafted brood ball. The larvae feed on this stored dung, growing through several stages before pupating and emerging as adult beetles.

Different species have adapted to various niches. Onthophagus taurus, for instance, is a tunneler that excels in temperate climates. Some beetles have even adapted to process elephant dung in their native ranges—massive pats that require teams of beetles working together. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has studied how these specialized behaviors translate across different environments and dung types.

What's fascinating is how predatory beetles—like histerids and rove beetles—patrol around the dung, hunting fly larvae and keeping pest populations in check while dung beetles work. It's a complete ecosystem where every member has a role. When you protect dung beetles, you're protecting this entire beneficial community.

The Texas Opportunity

Texas has native dung beetle species that evolved with bison on our prairies. We also have established populations of introduced African and European species that came in through various pathways over the decades. What we don't have—yet—is enough Texas ranchers actively managing for beetle health. Many species of dung beetle are considered endangered species in other parts of the world due to habitat loss and pesticide use, but Texas still has good populations if we protect them.

That's changing. As regenerative agriculture spreads across Texas ranching operations, more producers are recognizing that dung beetles represent free labor that improves profitability. The ranchers who figure this out first will have a competitive advantage: better soil health, lower input costs, healthier cattle, and higher stocking rates on the same land base. When you understand what dung beetles eat—they consume both liquids and solids from dung—and how dung beetles also improve soil structure, you realize they're doing multiple jobs simultaneously.

We're talking about tiny insects that each weigh a fraction of an ounce. But multiply those tiny insects across millions of dung pats, and you've got an economic force that research values at $380 million to $2 billion annually for U.S. cattle operations. That's not counting the ecological benefits—improved water infiltration, increased soil carbon, enhanced biodiversity, and all the things we can't easily put a price tag on but know matter.

The Bottom Line

Nature's tillers don't clock out. They don't take holidays. They don't demand raises or complain about working conditions. Adult dung beetles and their larvae just show up, do the work, and multiply when conditions are right. For Texas ranchers trying to build profitable operations that actually improve the land rather than mining it, dung beetles are worth their weight in gold—literally. These scarab beetles deliver more value per ounce than almost any other investment you can make on your ranch.

The question isn't whether you can afford to support dung beetle populations. It's whether you can afford not to. Every dung beetle working your pastures is money in the bank—from reduced fly control costs to improved soil fertility to higher stocking rates. That's good poop becoming great profit, all courtesy of God's most underappreciated ranch workers.

Want to learn more about regenerative agriculture and the beneficial insects that make healthy ranching possible? Check out our other articles regarding regenertative agriculture on God's design in beneficial insects.