March 23, 2020

Study finds common cattle treatments has severe effects on wildlife

Wormers and anti-ectoparasitic products impair dung beetles larvae development, which indirectly affects endangered bats and birds that prey on the beetles, reported Science Daily.

In the study published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, researchers from the University of Sussex studied the environmental effects on anthelmintics, which are used in wormers and anti-ectoparasitic products.

Fiona Mathews, University of Sussex professor of Environmental Biology said dung samples from cattle treated with anthelmintics had lesser dung beetle larvae compared to those without the treatment.

She said the beetles are more attracted to dung from cattle treated with wormers and anti-ectoparasitic products, but do not survive or have impaired development due to the toxicity in the chemicals.

Some of the endangered bats that consume dung beetles are the serotine bat, the greater horseshoe bat, the Nightjar and the Chough.

The study also found that Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic agent available to buy in many EY countries without veterinarian advice, is very toxic.

More research needs to be conducted to affirm the exact effects of other treatment types and other drugs.

Dung beetles are important in a farm's ecosystem as it helps clear dung from pastures, controlling pest flies and allowing grass to regrow quickly through the combination of nutrient cycling and soil aeration.

Dung beetles in a farm can reduce cattle nematode infections between 55% to 89%, and reduce pest flies by 58% These services exceed 350 million GBP (~US$407 million; 1 GBP = US$1.17) annually in the UK.

-      Science Daily, University of Sussex