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Dermestid Beetles for European Mounts
#2433520
03/13/18 03:13 PM
03/13/18 03:13 PM
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 95 NE Alabama
LuckyGoose
OP
spike
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OP
spike
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 95
NE Alabama
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I have an established colony of beetles that I can split from. I can sell "2 oz." starter colonies that will take about 2 months to expand to the point they can clean a deer skull in 5-7 days (my colony started this way by being fed duck, turkey, coyote, beaver, otter skulls, raw meat scraps etc.). This 2 oz. includes approximately 1000 adults and multiple stages of larvae. I'll then pack in cotton bedding which will contain thousands of eggs (they are too small to actually see). Care is easy: I keep them in the basement in a clear sterilite tote just big enough to put a skull in, cotton balls for bedding, temperatures above 60 (or they won't eat much) but less than 80 (or they'll fly away), and a spritz of water 2-3 times a week. Smell is not an issue unless you overfeed them, even then it goes away in just a day or so (my wife's only mentioned the smell twice ). I should mention that beetles are not magic, you still have to skin the head and remove the eyes and brains (pliers, a sharp knife, and a coat hanger make this quick work). I'll let them eat most everything off the skull, take it out to soak in water for a day, and put it back in with the beetles. I end up with a nice natural bone skull. Cost is $50 picked up. I can mail them as long as temps are above 50 or you can pick them up in Northeast AL. Add $10 to ship. If you are in a hurry to clean deer skulls and want a bigger quantity we can talk about that, but I can only pull so many from my colony. If you want to talk more about them PM your phone number. If you end up buying some I will provide you with a 'how-to' sheet with these details spelled out. Thanks.
Last edited by LuckyGoose; 03/13/18 03:14 PM.
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Re: Dermestid Beetles for European Mounts
[Re: LuckyGoose]
#2433767
03/13/18 08:25 PM
03/13/18 08:25 PM
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Joined: May 2015
Posts: 6,363 On the X
TickaTicka
12 point
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12 point
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 6,363
On the X
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Do you do beetle work? If so, pm me your contact info.
Public Land Owner
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Re: Dermestid Beetles for European Mounts
[Re: Irishguy]
#2434047
03/14/18 09:07 AM
03/14/18 09:07 AM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 6,054 AL
BamaGuitarDude
12 point
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12 point
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 6,054
AL
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This is a post on here that most people outside the deer hunting world wouldn't believe is a real "Thing." definitely real - just not done that much anymore since there's other non-insect ways to do a skull mount
ALDeer physics: for every opinion, there's an equal & opposite opinion
A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.
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Re: Dermestid Beetles for European Mounts
[Re: LuckyGoose]
#2434050
03/14/18 09:14 AM
03/14/18 09:14 AM
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 51,948 Round ‘bout there
Clem
Mildly Quirky
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Mildly Quirky
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 51,948
Round ‘bout there
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Just curious about this - if taxidermy mounts have tanned-finished hides and no other meat/fat or anything other than a form, how could these beetles destroy them? If a skull has to be skinned and the eyes removed for the beetles to work normally then a taxidermy mount wouldn't have anything for them to eat? Or would they just gnaw on it anyway? I have a hog head frozen that I'd love done but don't have time to skin it. It's been in my freezer almost three years. My wife's forgotten about it, thankfully.
"Hunting Politics are stupid!" - Farm Hunter
"Bible says you shouldn't put sugar in your cornbread." Dustin, 2013
"Best I can figure 97.365% of the general public is a paint chip eating, mouth breathing, certified dumbass." BCLC, 2020
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Re: Dermestid Beetles for European Mounts
[Re: Clem]
#2434072
03/14/18 09:45 AM
03/14/18 09:45 AM
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,594 Jackson County
CD
10 point
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10 point
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,594
Jackson County
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Just curious about this - if taxidermy mounts have tanned-finished hides and no other meat/fat or anything other than a form, how could these beetles destroy them? If a skull has to be skinned and the eyes removed for the beetles to work normally then a taxidermy mount wouldn't have anything for them to eat? Or would they just gnaw on it anyway? I have a hog head frozen that I'd love done but don't have time to skin it. It's been in my freezer almost three years. My wife's forgotten about it, thankfully. The skin, eyes, brain and excess flesh are removed to make the beetles more efficient and reduce rot and smell. They’d definitely eat that stuff, but it would be a slow process and rot and smell would kick in. As for mounts, the beetle larvae actually prefer a drier consistency in their food choices, thus the belief that hides would be in jeopardy. Most taxidermists who use them place a skinned head in front of a fan to get the flesh to a jerky like consistency. It’s a neat hobby, I had a colony for about a year but sold them to one of foldemup’s friends when I was moving to a new home with nowhere to keep them.
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Re: Dermestid Beetles for European Mounts
[Re: Irishguy]
#2434630
03/14/18 08:34 PM
03/14/18 08:34 PM
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Joined: May 2015
Posts: 6,363 On the X
TickaTicka
12 point
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12 point
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 6,363
On the X
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Can you not just stick deer head in a giant Ant bed?
You can, but doesn't work as well. And the squirrels and birds and coyotes, etc destroy the rack.
Public Land Owner
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Re: Dermestid Beetles for European Mounts
[Re: Irishguy]
#2434755
03/15/18 12:23 AM
03/15/18 12:23 AM
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 20,080 Northport, AL
GomerPyle
Impatient Stinky Britches Wearin’ Off-Roadin’ Guru
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Impatient Stinky Britches Wearin’ Off-Roadin’ Guru
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 20,080
Northport, AL
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Can you not just stick deer head in a giant Ant bed?
You can if you're not in a hurry. I did a doe head once just as an experiment. Found a big ant hill at the club, set the head on it and covered with a 5 al bucket with a cinder block on top (to keep critters away). Came back 6mo later and removed the bucket. Ants had built the hill up to totally fill the bucket. Took a stick and duck the skull out and hosed it off and it was totally clean and no smell.
There are 3 certainties in an uncertain world:
1. All Politicians Are Liars 2. All Gun Laws Are an Infringement 3. Taxation Is Theft
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Re: Dermestid Beetles for European Mounts
[Re: Irishguy]
#2434756
03/15/18 12:33 AM
03/15/18 12:33 AM
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Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 52,164 Gee's Bend/At The Hog Pen
James
Freak of Nature
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Freak of Nature
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 52,164
Gee's Bend/At The Hog Pen
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Can you not just stick deer head in a giant Ant bed?
Yeah if ya want a dog to take off with em
How many people am i willing to sacrifice for freedom? Everyone. All of them...
Do not regret growing older, it's a privilege denied to many!
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Re: Dermestid Beetles for European Mounts
[Re: LuckyGoose]
#2439726
03/20/18 09:35 AM
03/20/18 09:35 AM
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 95 NE Alabama
LuckyGoose
OP
spike
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OP
spike
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 95
NE Alabama
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Oh my, good stuff here.
Yes, beetles clean EVERYTHING off the skull without having to boil, pressure wash, or pick at them. These other ways can cause the skull to separate and destroy the fine nasal bones and just don't get them completely clean and they take time. I got sick of doing them this way and spending so much time and propane. Boil them too much the split and fall apart and boil them too little and you have to pick at them and not to mention boiling takes the stain off the antlers.
As for leaving them outside... that's a gamble I'm not taking on a deer I care about. You never hear the stories about partially cleaned heads, sunbaked heads, and heads that got drug off.
Last edited by LuckyGoose; 03/20/18 09:36 AM.
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Re: Dermestid Beetles for European Mounts
[Re: LuckyGoose]
#2892491
08/30/19 03:50 PM
08/30/19 03:50 PM
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 95 NE Alabama
LuckyGoose
OP
spike
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OP
spike
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 95
NE Alabama
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I've got beetles and you've got last year's spike still in the freezer... If you buy beetles now, a bag of cotton balls, and a plastic tote you can grow a colony right in time for bow season.
Last edited by LuckyGoose; 08/30/19 03:53 PM.
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Re: Dermestid Beetles for European Mounts
[Re: James]
#2892905
08/31/19 01:26 AM
08/31/19 01:26 AM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 25,730 Fayetteville TN Via Selma
jawbone
Freak of Nature
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Freak of Nature
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 25,730
Fayetteville TN Via Selma
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Can you not just stick deer head in a giant Ant bed?
Yeah if ya want a dog to take off with em No funny. Been there and done that.
Lord, please help us get our nation straightened out.
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Re: Dermestid Beetles for European Mounts
[Re: LuckyGoose]
#2892950
08/31/19 06:50 AM
08/31/19 06:50 AM
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 25,947 Prattville, Alabama
Skullworks
Freak of Nature
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Freak of Nature
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 25,947
Prattville, Alabama
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Beetles are the best way to do it for sure. GLWS!
"I'm not near as critical about how big they are as I once was. Smiles are more important now! We will grow more deer." Jimmy G.
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Re: Dermestid Beetles for European Mounts
[Re: LuckyGoose]
#2917980
10/02/19 06:40 PM
10/02/19 06:40 PM
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Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 3,391 Sylvania Alabama
Sandmtnslayer
10 point
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10 point
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 3,391
Sylvania Alabama
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I've read about these things. Seems like a good idea other than the smell
Not all Indians were hunters some toted firewood
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