The Horse Owner's Guide to Dung Beetles — and Why Your Dewormer Choice Matters More Than You Think

Quick Summary

• Dung beetles naturally reduce fly populations, break the parasite reinfection cycle, and improve pasture soil health.
• Research shows active dung beetle populations can reduce horn fly emergence by up to 95%.
• Many conventional horse dewormers containing Ivermectin pass residual compounds into manure that can kill dung beetle larvae.
• When dung beetle populations decline, manure breaks down more slowly and parasite exposure in pastures may increase.
• Atlas Natural Horse Dewormer contains no synthetic compounds or macrocyclic lactones, helping preserve beneficial dung beetle populations.
• Healthy dung beetle activity supports cleaner pastures, improved soil quality, and natural parasite management between treatments.

Dung beetles are one of the most valuable — and most overlooked — tools in horse pasture management. They reduce fly populations, interrupt the parasite reinfection cycle, and improve soil health naturally. But many conventional horse dewormers containing Ivermectin pass toxic compounds into manure that kill dung beetle larvae, undermining the very ecosystem working in your favor. Atlas Natural Horse Dewormer contains no synthetic compounds, leaving your dung beetle population intact and your pasture healthier between treatments.

If you've never given much thought to dung beetles, you're not alone. Most horse owners are focused on feed, hoof care, and keeping up with deworming schedules. Dung beetles don't exactly come up in conversation at the feed store.

But they should. Because what's happening in your horse's manure — and what your dewormer does to it — has a direct impact on how many parasites your horses are exposed to every single day.

Here's what you need to know.

What Dung Beetles Actually Do

Dung beetles are small insects that feed on and breed in animal manure. They're not glamorous. But the work they do in a pasture is remarkable.

There are three types: tunnelers, which burrow manure into the soil beneath the pat; rollers, which form manure into balls and bury them elsewhere; and dwellers, which live inside the manure pat itself. All three are working to break down and remove manure from your pasture surface — and all three are doing you a favor in the process.

They reduce flies

Manure is the primary breeding ground for horn flies and face flies — two of the most frustrating and damaging pests in horse management. A single unprotected manure pat can generate 60 to 80 horn fly adults. Research cited by Texas A&M University found that horn fly emergence was reduced by 95% in manure pats with active dung beetle populations. That's near-elimination of a breeding cycle — without a single spray or treatment.

They break the parasite reinfection cycle

The eggs of most gastrointestinal parasites — including Strongyles — pass out in manure, hatch into larvae, migrate onto grass, and get ingested by grazing horses. That's how horses keep getting reinfected even after treatment. Dung beetles interrupt that cycle by removing or burying the manure before larvae can develop and migrate. Research from Washington State University Extension and North Carolina State University confirms that healthy dung beetle populations significantly reduce internal parasite loads in pastures.

In other words: dung beetles are doing parasite control work between your deworming treatments. For free.

They improve your soil and grass

When manure sits on the surface, up to 80% of its nitrogen is lost to the air through volatilization. According to NCAT/ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture research, dung beetle activity reduces that loss to as little as 5–15%, returning more nutrients to the soil where your grass can actually use them. Their tunneling also improves water infiltration and aeration. And because horses tend to avoid grazing near manure pats, unmanaged deposits can reduce available grazing acreage by 5–10%. Beetles eliminate that problem naturally.

The Problem Most Horse Owners Don't Know About

Here's where your dewormer choice comes in — and why it matters more than most people realize.

Conventional dewormers containing Ivermectin — one of the most widely used compounds in equine parasite control — don't stop working when they leave your horse. The active compounds pass through the digestive system and into the manure. And once they're there, they continue doing what they were designed to do: kill insects.

Including dung beetles.

Peer-reviewed research from North Carolina State University confirms that macrocyclic lactone compounds — the drug class that includes Ivermectin — kill dung beetle larvae in manure after passing through the host animal. Ivermectin administered as a pour-on has been shown to reduce dung beetle larval survival for one to three weeks following a single treatment. Repeated use compounds the problem, with documented long-term negative impacts on beetle populations in treated pastures.

To be clear: this isn't an argument that Ivermectin doesn't work as a dewormer. It does. But it's worth understanding that the same compound doing its job inside your horse is also doing damage outside — in the manure, in the soil, and in the beetle population that's been quietly working to keep your pasture healthy.

Why Atlas Natural Horse Dewormer Is Different

Atlas Natural Horse Dewormer works mechanically, not chemically. The natural ingredients — including Diatomaceous Earth and herbal charcoals — physically abrade the outer coating of parasites, causing dehydration. There are no synthetic compounds involved. No macrocyclic lactones. Nothing that passes through your horse and into the manure with residual toxic activity.

That means when your horse passes manure after an Atlas treatment, the dung beetles in your pasture are safe. They can keep doing their job — reducing fly populations, breaking the parasite reinfection cycle, improving your soil — without interruption.

In independent fecal egg count testing conducted at Michigan State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory using the McMaster method, Atlas reduced Strongyle egg counts by 88 to 100 percent across every horse tested — with no harm to the pasture ecosystem in the process.

It's a detail that most dewormer brands have never had to think about. Most conventional dewormers just weren't designed with the broader pasture environment in mind. Atlas was.

Do You Already Have Dung Beetles?

Probably — unless your land has a long history of heavy pesticide or parasiticide use. The good news is you don't have to do anything to attract them. They find manure on their own, often arriving within minutes of a fresh deposit on warm days above 70°F.

Walk your pastures and look at the manure pats. Signs of beetle activity include:

• Holes in the surface of the pat
• Pats that appear shredded or broken down faster than expected
• Small mounds of soil alongside the pat — a sign of tunneling

If pats are sitting intact for several days without breaking down, your beetle population may be low.

What If You Don't Have Dung Beetles?

You can purchase and introduce them. Several suppliers sell live dung beetles for pasture introduction, and once established they multiply on their own. The key is making sure the environment you're introducing them into isn't going to work against them — which means being thoughtful about what deworming compounds you're putting into your horses, and by extension, into your pasture.

A natural dewormer like Atlas pairs directly with a dung beetle management approach. You're not working against your own pasture ecosystem every time you deworm.

The Bigger Picture

Good horse care is a system. The deworming routine you choose affects more than your horse's parasite load — it affects the flies in your barn, the health of your pasture grass, the quality of your soil, and the natural defenses that have been working quietly in your fields all along.

Dung beetles are part of that system. They've always been part of it. Most conventional dewormers just weren't designed with the broader pasture environment in mind.

Atlas was.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best natural horse dewormer?

Atlas Natural Horse Dewormer is an all-natural powder formula that works mechanically rather than chemically — with no Ivermectin, no synthetic compounds, and no toxic impact on your pasture ecosystem. In independent testing at Michigan State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, it reduced Strongyle egg counts by 88 to 100 percent across every horse tested. It has been used and refined for over 20 years and is veterinarian endorsed.

Does Ivermectin harm dung beetles?

Yes. Peer-reviewed research from North Carolina State University confirms that Ivermectin and other macrocyclic lactone compounds pass through the horse into the manure, where they kill dung beetle larvae. A single pour-on treatment has been shown to reduce larval survival for one to three weeks. Repeated use has documented long-term negative impacts on beetle populations.

How do dung beetles help control horse parasites?

Dung beetles remove or bury manure before parasite eggs can hatch into larvae and migrate onto grass. By eliminating the incubation environment, they break the reinfection cycle — reducing the parasite burden in your pasture between deworming treatments. Research from Washington State University Extension and NC State University both confirm this benefit.

Are dung beetles beneficial in horse pastures?

Yes — significantly. They reduce horn fly and face fly populations by up to 95%, interrupt the parasite reinfection cycle, improve soil fertility, and increase available grazing acreage by eliminating manure buildup. They provide these benefits continuously and at no cost once established in your pasture.

What kills dung beetles in pastures?

Primarily chemical compounds that pass into manure from treated animals — particularly macrocyclic lactones like Ivermectin. Pour-on formulations are especially problematic. Broad-spectrum insecticides and some synthetic pyrethroids can also harm beetle populations. Natural dewormers that work mechanically, like Atlas, do not pass harmful compounds into the manure.

Does Atlas Natural Horse Dewormer harm dung beetles?

No. Atlas Natural Horse Dewormer contains no synthetic compounds and has no toxic impact on dung beetle populations. Because it works mechanically rather than chemically, nothing harmful passes into the manure. Your dung beetle population stays intact and continues working for you between deworming treatments.

How do I know if I have dung beetles on my property?

Look for holes in the surface of manure pats, pats that break down quickly, or small soil mounds alongside the pat — a sign of tunneling activity. On warm days above 70°F, beetles typically arrive within minutes of fresh manure being deposited. If pats are sitting intact for several days without breaking down, your beetle population may be low.

Can I buy dung beetles for my pasture?

Yes. Live dung beetles are available from several suppliers and can be introduced to your property. Once established, they multiply on their own. Pairing an introduction with a natural deworming approach — one that won't pass harmful compounds into the manure — gives them the best chance of thriving.

Sources

• Washington State University Extension — Dung Beetle Friendly Parasite Control
• North Carolina State University / NC Cooperative Extension — Dung Beetles of Central and Eastern North Carolina Cattle Pastures, Bertone, Watson, Stringham et al.
• NCAT/ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture — Dung Beetle Benefits in the Pasture Ecosystem
• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — Horn Fly Management