Dermestid Beetles.....

06 July 2011, 00:03

Eland Slayer

I discovered some dermestid beetles in 2 of my American Bison skulls (one is in my office, and one is in my house). Is this a result of the taxidermist not treating them properly after the skulls were cleaned? Also, what is the best way to go about killing them? I do not want my skin mounts getting damaged.....

Thanks.

06 July 2011, 02:24

smarterthanu

This is not necesarily the taxidermists fault. Could they have been from the taxidermist? Yes. Could they have also found their way in from somewhere else? Yes. I would consult an exterminator about best form of eradication. Until then I would keep these out of your house and away from other trophies.

Ben

06 July 2011, 08:07

Osage Taxidermy

put in Freezer now for week take out for three days put bak in freeze for week and then will be fine

06 July 2011, 12:11

mike7mm08

Have you found live ones or just signs of them. My Bison skull came back from the taxidermist with a few larval casings in the nooks and crannies. The skull was beetle cleaned and then degreased and whitened. I used some compressed air to blast them out and have had no problems. So if there are not live and the skull was beetle cleaned it maybe possible you just did not notice the casings before.

As for it being the taxidermists fault. Hard to say. But no matter where they came from if the skull was cleaned completely there should be nothing left on it to attract them. They don't eat bone and they don't usually go after the horn sheathes unless they started on something softer and worked their way to them.

06 July 2011, 17:11

Eland Slayer

quote:
Originally posted by mike7mm08:
Have you found live ones or just signs of them. My Bison skull came back from the taxidermist with a few larval casings in the nooks and crannies. The skull was beetle cleaned and then degreased and whitened. I used some compressed air to blast them out and have had no problems. So if there are not live and the skull was beetle cleaned it maybe possible you just did not notice the casings before.

As for it being the taxidermists fault. Hard to say. But no matter where they came from if the skull was cleaned completely there should be nothing left on it to attract them. They don't eat bone and they don't usually go after the horn sheathes unless they started on something softer and worked their way to them.

Yes, these were LIVE beetles in both skulls. The way I found them was because there was a small coating of white powder on my desk at the office, directly under the skull. So I got to looking around and there were at least a dozen or so.....mostly up inside the nasal cavity, eating the tender bone pieces (hence the white powder on the desk).

When I got home from work, I checked my other Buffalo skull and, sure enough, they were in it as well. Both of these came from the same taxidermist, and I have had them for about a year. However I just noticed the beetles, so I'm thinking there must have been eggs that hatched inside or something to that effect.

06 July 2011, 19:43

Lapidary

We have had an infestation of carpet beetles this year. Its not just in the house, but outside too. I sprayed my mounts with Orhto Home Defense insect spray a couple of years ago and haven't had any bugs on them, I also spray the house every month in the summer.

06 July 2011, 21:48

Aspen Hill Adventures

I use permanone spray on my mounts.

07 July 2011, 00:12

JBrown

quote:
Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
I use permanone spray on my mounts.

That was going to be my suggestion as well.

Jason

"You're not hard-core, unless you live hard-core."
_______________________

Hunting in Africa is an adventure. The number of variables involved preclude the possibility of a perfect hunt. Some problems will arise. How you decide to handle them will determine how much you enjoy your hunt.

Just tell yourself, "it's all part of the adventure." Remember, if Robert Ruark had gotten upset every time problems with Harry
Selby's flat bed truck delayed the safari, Horn of the Hunter would have read like an indictment of Selby. But Ruark rolled with the punches, poured some gin, and enjoyed the adventure.

-Jason Brown

07 July 2011, 00:37

Outdoor Writer

quote:
Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
I use permanone spray on my mounts.

++++1

08 July 2011, 05:45

oakman

If they are dermestid beetles--black body with a white belly-then just throw the skulls in the freezer for 2 days and all will be dead and or spray some raid--green can-- into a bag that the skull is in and let it fog the skull for a day.Dermestid beetles eat only meat, not hair,skin like the carpet beetle-black body with a brown saddle-they will eat your mounts. When cleaning if you see sawdust and empty shells on the ground under your mounts,then you have trouble but these are not so bad unless you have food somewhere .....

10 July 2011, 02:43

dogcatcher223

Unless the bison skulls were cleaned with beetles originally, there is some residual meat hidden up in the nasal cavity that will attract dermestids for eternity.

I am not a proponent of simmering skulls for this very reason. Beetle cleaning is the only way to assure ALL the meat and membrane is gone.

On the ones I do happen to simmer, I remove all the interior nasal bones so it is hollow inside.