Congratulations! You’ve just discovered first base for magpies!
drcrum1
Like most things in a compost heap they are detritivores and help break down your garden waste. It’s really hard to tell what species they are but some are native beetle larvae and some are introduced species. I generally leave them to do their job; i like to think that’s why I found a rhinoceros beetle in my garden this year but that might just be wishful thinking.
secondsbest
Grubs of all kinds feed on decaying plant matter in the soil, so these guys in your compost are doing a good job.
Nnox
Leave the beetle larvae be, they are friends.
Ahenobarbichops
Chicken treats
TheStainedOne2665
Thats. Chonky grub
Sadekush707
EDIT: when reading ANIMAL i figured it was a cow pattie and asking the reason for live stock and theyre role in composting but was askinng about INSECTS. Cows manage the living mulch know a farm and eat the seeds. They’re stomach i believe helps germinate the seed and then the seed is in their shit when they pass it. Then another cow behind might step on manure helping sow the seed or seeds but left alone manure is rich in biology and enough to get the seed started.
tryin_to_grow_stuff
Omg, I thought you were digging up errant onions for a sec!
Arkenstahl
good for compost, bad for garden. they chew everything.
KinkyLatexCat
Buttery, woody, delicious snacks!
ColeCain99
Like everything else, they eat and shit. Feces is easier to compost, and so are the nutrient dense bodies. Detritivores both chew up your compost and digest it, and eventually become pollinators or more compost.
Zestyclose_Put6969
Looks like a Coconut rhino beetle, which have caused a lot of damage in Hawaii. I once turned a huge compost bed and found over 200.
Visible-Evidence-233
Many people are saying that they are beetles and that they are bad for the garden. This is a fallacy, there are beetles that are beneficial to the garden and that act in pollination, in addition to preying on pests! Not all beetles feed on roots or harm the garden. It scares me how the vision of a garden seems to be a sterile place in which we want to see life.
Mord4k
In my experience, attract skunks, possums and racoons
socalquestioner
I have literally millions in the mulch I put down on my yard. They eat the larger more difficult pieces.
Lyme_Disease_Sux
Chicken food
tehdamonkey
They are crack for chickens….. mine go bonkers for them.
Rare-One2450
Good for all of you, which are few and far between, you are all diamonds in the rough. Wish more people cared about gardening, our environment and creating more beauty, and even food, and growing of fruit tree’s to lessen allergies. No one quite understands what we Gardener’s take on, the pain, sacrifice of our own time and lives and the pain, and cost involved. Thank you for your SERVICES. All people matter, All insect’s matter, we all have a gift that is unique and special.
Skyynett
Hakuna matata, Timon and pumba’s lunch 😆
Cluckywood
Here in LA those would be June Bug larvae. Not bad for the garden, but absolutely delicious for my chickens.
20 Comments
Congratulations! You’ve just discovered first base for magpies!
Like most things in a compost heap they are detritivores and help break down your garden waste. It’s really hard to tell what species they are but some are native beetle larvae and some are introduced species. I generally leave them to do their job; i like to think that’s why I found a rhinoceros beetle in my garden this year but that might just be wishful thinking.
Grubs of all kinds feed on decaying plant matter in the soil, so these guys in your compost are doing a good job.
Leave the beetle larvae be, they are friends.
Chicken treats
Thats. Chonky grub
EDIT: when reading ANIMAL i figured it was a cow pattie and asking the reason for live stock and theyre role in composting but was askinng about INSECTS. Cows manage the living mulch know a farm and eat the seeds. They’re stomach i believe helps germinate the seed and then the seed is in their shit when they pass it. Then another cow behind might step on manure helping sow the seed or seeds but left alone manure is rich in biology and enough to get the seed started.
Omg, I thought you were digging up errant onions for a sec!
good for compost, bad for garden. they chew everything.
Buttery, woody, delicious snacks!
Like everything else, they eat and shit. Feces is easier to compost, and so are the nutrient dense bodies. Detritivores both chew up your compost and digest it, and eventually become pollinators or more compost.
Looks like a Coconut rhino beetle, which have caused a lot of damage in Hawaii. I once turned a huge compost bed and found over 200.
Many people are saying that they are beetles and that they are bad for the garden. This is a fallacy, there are beetles that are beneficial to the garden and that act in pollination, in addition to preying on pests! Not all beetles feed on roots or harm the garden. It scares me how the vision of a garden seems to be a sterile place in which we want to see life.
In my experience, attract skunks, possums and racoons
I have literally millions in the mulch I put down on my yard. They eat the larger more difficult pieces.
Chicken food
They are crack for chickens….. mine go bonkers for them.
Good for all of you, which are few and far between, you are all diamonds in the rough. Wish more people cared about gardening, our environment and creating more beauty, and even food, and growing of fruit tree’s to lessen allergies. No one quite understands what we Gardener’s take on, the pain, sacrifice of our own time and lives and the pain, and cost involved. Thank you for your SERVICES. All people matter, All insect’s matter, we all have a gift that is unique and special.
Hakuna matata, Timon and pumba’s lunch 😆
Here in LA those would be June Bug larvae. Not bad for the garden, but absolutely delicious for my chickens.