As the major resistance to chemical drenches against gut parasites increases among New Zealand’s grazing animals, entomologist and scientist with Dung Beetle Innovations, Dr Shaun Forgie is pushing the government to look at a national dung beetle release strategy.

In 2024, Forgie was invited to speak to a parliamentary select committee regarding dung beetle use in New Zealand, but no action has been taken to date.

“Overseas and local studies found at least 76% reduction of re-infection rates of gut parasites in cow and sheep pastures that have dung beetles,” said Forgie.

“We should be following Australia’s lead with a national dung beetle release strategy at this time when national productivity is so low.”

Dung beetles disrupt the gut parasites life cycles that occur in the dung.

They physically damage the parasite eggs during nesting, eat their eggs, and bury the dung balls so deep (up to 60 centimetres) that any surviving parasite worms can’t migrate to the surface for re-infection. Remaining eggs are desiccated in the shredded dung.

Dung Beetle Innovations currently breed and sell six species of dung beetle effectively covering three-quarters of the year.

They were excited to introduce a seventh species for commercial sale, Bubas bison, which covered the winter gap as other species hibernate.

Entomologist and scientist with Dung Beetle Innovations, Dr Shaun Forgie. Photo/ Supplied

Forgie said Bubas bison were regarded as a silver bullet in Australia for the astounding amount of dung that the new adults bury when they emerge from underground in May.

They hibernate from mid-spring when the other species start coming to the surface.

It's estimated that 100,000,000 tonnes of cow and sheep dung is deposited on New Zealand pastures each year.

“Dung beetle activity reduces drench dependence which retards the rate of resistance to them. It’s quite simple, get rid of the dung efficiently, get rid of the parasite problem.”