Southern Forests Community Landcare’s (SFCL) project officer, Katrina Zemke has been running a SMART Parasite Control using AI and IPM program for producers through the Dung Beetle Soil Health Initiative. SFCL believes that it is important our farming community has access to the best and most current information regarding livestock parasites, testing opportunities and IPM strategies available to them as well as knowing their worm egg count (WEC) thresholds, active ingredients in chemical pesticides and the off-target effects of that chemical and drench effectiveness. Just as importantly is knowing the benefits to dung beetles and other soil organisms when choosing more ‘dung beetle friendly’ drench chemicals.

This program not only covered these topics but also offered free AI FECPAK testing of livestock manure to all attendees to determine their worm egg counts and then re-tested after drenching if it was needed. SFCL plans to continue this very successful program into the future as it not only saves producers money but supports them to make evidence-based decisions when managing parasites, adopt other strategies to minimise worm burdens in paddocks without just relying on chemicals all whilst protecting soil biodiversity, including the super important and beneficial dung beetle.

Depending on where you live in Australia, dung beetles are active at different times of the year.  In the southwest of WA our dung beetles are ferociously active between late October and January, this is when you DON’T want to drench, with one main winter species of dung beetle showing its handsome face from late Autumn to the end of winter. So, if you must drench (and sometimes there is just no other option), SFCL encourages farmers to use ‘dung-beetle friendly’ drenches and plan the drenching activity outside of these windows so that harm to the reproductive cycles of the dung beetles is minimised. Better still, implement Integrated Pest Management strategies throughout the year to minimise the need for drench, minimising harm to soil biodiversity and reducing costs.

MORE DUNG BEETLES = LESS FLIES & PARASITIC WORMS

Livestock producers both tiny, smallish and huge are invited to the next SMART Parasite Control Using AI and IPM workshop in Manjimup, this September. This program caters for all farming scales and a free FECPAK worm egg count will be given to each attendee, so bring along your poop.  If you would like more information on this workshop, please contact Katrina.zemke@warrencc.org.au