My black wildebeest mounted here in the US now has a bug infestation. Possibly the Kudu to. I ordered a product called Mount Saver and sprayed the wildebeest. I had moved the mount to garage to treat. Terrible smell. What other options does a person have if several others need treated?

I had the same issue about a year ago. They got into my big leopard and I would have lost him if not caught when I did. My taxidermist fixed him and recommended a local exterminator who also has an extensive taxidermy collection and is up to speed on what it takes to keep them out. In my case, the bugs were moths and their larvae.

It was recommended to me to have him treat the house twice a year on a regular schedule. Costs about $500 per treatment. That's the program I'm on now.

quote:

Originally posted by Bigfoot1961:
My black wildebeest mounted here in the US now has a bug infestation. Possibly the Kudu to. I ordered a product called Mount Saver and sprayed the wildebeest. I had moved the mount to garage to treat. Terrible smell. What other options does a person have if several others need treated?

I had a significant dermested beetle infestation about a year ago. Taxidermist had a treatment down. He came over and dusted most of them, then set off 7 or 8 "bombs" and fumigated my entire Trophy Room.

Not the end of the world, just need to inspect trophies occasionally to make sure there isn't any sign of them. If they've actually done damage, there are people whom treat that as well.

Good luck.

My old water buff got an infestation inside his horns and noticed it when I saw the sticky digested waste on the tile floor below. They were eating the inside of the horns and the waste was coming out at the bases. My taxidermist drilled holes in the back of the horns and put crushed-up moth balls inside and then sealed it back up with apoxy I believe. You can't even tell where he drilled the holes but I do sometimes get alittle whip of moth ball at times when I'm near.

So is this brought back or occurs in the US? Never seen it heard about it really

Were any of these mounts done in Africa? The reason I ask, is because in Africa, they use good old fashioned chemicals and not the PC democrat garbage we have to use here.

Gunslinger55, It can happen anywhere. Clothes moths, and carpet beetles are the most common offenders. The same bugs mothballs and cedar chests were used for to prevent aunt Vera's wool from getting eated.

Arsenic used to be part of tanning solutions, but is no longer used in US tanneries. The arsenic kept the beetles/moths at bay. Not any more.

I use a product called Protex Mount Care. You wipe it on the hair. I do it a couple times a year when I dust/clean my mounts. For the horns, I lightly spray them with Bedlam spray, and wipe off the excess. Do it in the spring and fall so the house can air out. Protex smells.

Also put out a moth trap in the trophy area/room and make it a habit to check it. If a moth shows up, time to clean/inspect the mounts.

Jeremy

All the work was done here in the US. Nationally known taxidermy place. I got an email back from them today. They told me the product Mount Saver was good. They also suggest Ortho Home defense every six months. Spray around the horn bases especially.

I've had decent luck with the Sawyer's permethrin spray that is meant to be sprayed on your clothes pre-safari. I brush the hair back as I spray to get the product closer to the cape.

Better yet, just get this cheaper, more concentrated permethrin and mix your own spray:

https://www.amazon.com/Martins...r/dp/B001EVKCKM?th=1

Forrest Ketner from Trophy Doc comes to my place every other year to clean and treat my collection. He usually spends three days on a ladder going over 100 or so mounts with a fine tooth comb.

It's not cheap, but neither is anything else I do.

Hahaha safari Lawyer. I like your attitude. I should of become a lawyer instead of a pilot.....

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:
Forrest Ketner from Trophy Doc comes to my place every other year to clean and treat my collection. He usually spends three days on a ladder going over 100 or so mounts with a fine tooth comb.

It's not cheap, but neither is anything else I do.

Man, I’d love to see that office. I’m sure the decor keeps the clientele legit!

I use Permathin spray on my horses in the summer, so it might work on trophies as well?? I have never had an infestation, maybe Idaho is to dry and too high, and damn cold in the winter..

I have been led to believe that the majority of instances of trophy mounts being affected by bugs can be traced back to a not complete treatment of the trophy when "green" (taken in the field).

This is of little help to those in a situation where you may not even see your trophies being processed, BUT you can control it, to an extent, by inspecting prior to taxidermy.


For a shoulder mount the skull, horns/antlers and jaws must be completely devoid of any; meat, tissue, cartlidge, blood and other living material.


You can physically inspect your skulls and skins before getting them mounted.


Some bugs, if go un-noticed for a while, can spread to every other mount in the same room and destroy entire collections.


Separate suspect mounts from the rest of them and get them treated as soon as possible.

Arizona seems pretty devoid of bugs that eat mounts

quote:

Originally posted by gunslinger55:
Arizona seems pretty devoid of bugs that eat mounts

Seems like not in my Trophy Room. My Taxidermist (Southwest Wildlife Taxidermy) whom I believe AAW also uses, told me the process of how an infestation occurs. Also told me that studies have been conducted on dermestid beetles and what they dislike.

He advised to keep some low music playing as they dislike the vibrations of sound waves. My room is detached from the house so I can do that.

As an aside, he also has an interesting theory about cobwebs. Whenever I (we) see them, they are from a mount, to a light can. His theory is that they are from static electricity. It absolutely made sense based on every single webs location.

A session of light/medium density smoke fumigation won't hurt any trophy - leaves hardly any smell and if there was a bug or two they would be history but would also be a red flag and the need to repeat the process within a couple of weeks.

First off, it IS NOT YOUR TAXIDERMIST'S PROBLEM. It is home grown and it's yours completely. You have a dermistid infestation and these insect are known as dust mites or carpet beetles. You can tell they're on your mounts by looking underneath for "sawdust" or frass, which is bug dung. Anyone who has a game room/museum is prime for getting these little varmints through the air.
Years ago, taxidermists could insure this never happened by using arsenic soap. When that was outlawed, we switched to a product called Endolin U which was nearly as effective. That, too, was soon outlawed. Today, the better taxidermists use products that can delay this issue but it is temporary, usually lasting one year or less. You can call an exterminator, but their treatments are no better or longer lasting than the taxidermists.
Here's what I use on my own and on customers' mounts before they left the shop. IF YOU HAVE CATS OR TROPICAL FISH BE VERY WARY OF USING THIS PRODUCT. It is harmless to humans, dogs and other animals.
Go to your local Tractor Supply Store and go to the horse and cattle section. in there, look for either Stable Spray (which comes in a diluted, ready to use liquid) or the PERMETHRIN Concentrate (You MUST follow the directions. DO NOT USE IT IN CONCENTRATE. Though it's harmless to the list above, the fumes are quite overwhelming. I suggest doing it outside with a breeze blowing.
Take each individual mount outside and spray it liberally all over the hide and horns/antlers. Insure you give extra attention to the backboard side of your mount, spraying under the stapeled down hide. Then set your mount in a large (preferably black) plastic bag and set it in the sun or 4-6 hours. Remove the mount and set it outside so that the liquid can evaporate. The spray will have penetrated the hide and killed the bugs along with their eggs. JUST REMEMBER, THE TREATMENT WILL LAST ONLY A YEAR OR LESS AND MUST BE REPEATED ANNUALLY. Hang your mount and enjoy it.

If you have dermistids, every mount in your collection WILL be infected. They usually gain access to the mount from the backboard and crawl under the skin. There they establish tunnels to each individual hair follicle and attack it to get the protein contained in that preserved sack. That means gnawing the hair root off and the hair falls out. Their frass calling card alerts you only after they've begun their dirty work.
I do this to my own mounts and I have mounts that are 40-45 years old with the original hair. Permethrin is a plant based product that is deadly to bugs, cats and tropical fish but harmless to humans and other animals. It's used extensively in stables to control flies. It was once sold everywhere, but the EPA is limiting it now to kennels and farm animal suppliers. If you find a insect spray containing permethrin, buy it by the case. It is also sold in a product called Repel and Permanone which hunters use in repelling ticks, fleas, keds, and biting flies and mosquitoes. The directions say do not spray it on your body but on your clothing. It also says that once dry, the effectiveness of the spray will last through repeated wash cycles. It's great stuff.