THE DOG AND THE STAG BEETLE

The stag beetle is a fairly rare insect that is still occasionally spotted in our region. Various projects aim to give this insect more opportunities, but it is not easy to assess the success of these projects. After all, the stag beetle is only effectively observable above ground for a few weeks a year. Before the stag beetle flies out, the insect lives underground in old wood for several years. To give these larvae more chances, breeding piles are being created here and there, but it is not desirable to dig into these piles because this can damage the larvae and pupae. In collaboration with INBO, an attempt is now being made to train dogs that can track down the larvae based on their specific scent. This work by the dogs is called eco-detection. Jef will provide more explanation about the training of detection dogs in general and eco-detection dogs in particular. Attention will be paid to the different phases of the training, the material used (including live larvae), the limitations, the pitfalls, etc... During the walk, two short demonstrations will also be given, on the one hand by Yesser, who is at the beginning of his training, and on the other hand by the more experienced Bliss, who will actually go looking for larvae in existing breeding piles this year. Because of the demonstrations, it is not advisable to bring other dogs to the walk.