31 replies to this topic

[Railguner]

Guys I need to serious help. I found dermestids eating my mount. How do I get rid of them. I have a few P&Y and B&C heads as well as a spectacular Tule Elk. I need some help. RG

[packhorse9]

I would put it in a closet or bathroom and set off a bug bomb or two

[wanapasaki]

wrap it up in a towel and throw it in the freezer

[CoyoteHuntress]

You need to bug bomb your entire house.. Which anyone with mounts should do every 6 months or so anyhow.. As for the freezer comment... That would certainly not help the mount. extreme temperature changes are not good for mounts...

[Switch]

Bug bomb the whole house.If you put a nice mount in the freezer, it isn't going to come out of the freezer nice.

[ShooterJohn]

Don't overdue the bug bombs either. There was a guy a while back on the news locally that used a whole six pack and then flipped an electric switch. His house went BOOM!

[Switch]

Seriously, these bugs are relatively feable when it comes to gassing them. They don't need a lot to turn belly up. Also, they do not need to freeze to die. Get the temp down to the mid 40's and they will die off. I'd also advise keeping the mounts and bugs separate. I have mounts in my house and I keep the bugs in my shope in the garage. Never had a problem.Railgunner, do have a colony of beetles or are these a wild strain that got to your mounts?

[packhorse9]

Don't overdue the bug bombs either. There was a guy a while back on the news locally that used a whole six pack and then flipped an electric switch. His house went BOOM!

Did the bugs die??

[ShooterJohn]

No, but he almost did.

[Railguner]

Railgunner, do have a colony of beetles or are these a wild strain that got to your mounts?

My parents brought me back a deers foot in a tortoise shell, so kinda Indian thing from Arizona a few years ago. I left it in my old room in their house. Well a year ago I noticed the hair on the deers foot was falling out ant their was "sawdust" looking material on the counter where it sat. I thought nothing of it. I tossed it out. I think that was the start of the infestation. More than likely they were from a colony used by the guy who made the Indian relic.

[Baja_Traveler]

A couple of years ago I was lying on the couch watching football when all of a sudden BOOM!! the whole house shook. Guy set off a whole case of bug bombs in his rented house down the street and literally blew all the windows out and every door off the jam. I saw the place on the news that night, and every cupboard in the kitchen was blown open, and drywall was blown off the ceiling, dumping insulation all over the house. He forgot all about the pilot light in the central heating - I'd hate to make that call to the landlord!Puting the mount in a garbage bag with a few mothballs does the trick.

[CoyoteHuntress]

Dermistid beetles are naturally occuring in nature.. you dont necessarily have to own the kind that people use to clean skulls with to get an infestation.. Which is why I tell all my clients to be sure to bug bomb their house occasionally..

Dermestidae are a family of Coleoptera that are commonly referred to as skin beetles. Other common names include larder beetle, hide or leather beetles, carpet beetles, and khapra beetles. There are approximately 500 to 700 species worldwide.

[wanapasaki]

I dunno, my friend has some mounts in his shed in Arapahoe Nat. Forest, Colorado and they are fine every year?? Gets below freezing there too....

[CoyoteHuntress]

Seriously, dont give advice on something you dont know anything about.. ANY Taxidermist will warn you of the hazards of extreme temp changes and bugs.. Just like you dont hang the mount over a fireplace, or in direct sunlight, or place it in the back yard pool.. If people want their mounts to LAST they must be cared for properly. Giving advance such as wrap it in a towel and stick it in the freezer is telling someone to do something that will harm their trophy.

[Railguner]

I've never used a Bug Bomb in my life. I know what they are and how they work. I would just like someone with experience with them to recommend one that is KNOW to kill these little pests. Also, should I bomb the room with the mounts on the wall or should I make a 6'x6'x6' inclosure with a wood frame and tape it up with clear plastic and bomb each head, then bomb the room and put the heads back in place. Does this sound like a reasonable plan?I appreciate the advice.RG

[CoyoteHuntress]

Follow the directions on the canister.. You can leave them mounts on the wall.. THe fumes will fill the room Just be sure to air the room out again once youve waited the time it says to wait... Make sure to clean your mounts brushing off any of the chewings and such. Check your mounts in 3 weeks and see if any more bugs are present.. in case any eggs happen to hatch. ANd then again 3 weeks after that just to be sure. If you find more bugs bomb again.. then keep checking until all are gone. Once you have these bugs killed off be sure to bomb the place every 6 months or so.. Just to make sure they dont return..

[tawnoper]

Seriously, dont give advice on something you dont know anything about..

C'mon now Huntress....don't be mean. Not that I'm disagreeing with you but if we followed that criteria there'd be hardly any advice at all being given in the predator hunting section...and that would be no fun.

[CoyoteHuntress]

Stir that pot faster Tawnoper... Id be majorly PO'ed if a client of mine did that to one of my pieces.. Ya its their deer but once it is MY Shop that baby becomes my pride and joy so I dont want anyone to ruin them following bad advice.. PLUS if someone did that and it ruined their mount, they arent going to be real thrilled about having to do a remount.. or repairs..Sure advice is free but Then again some people actually advised people to voted for Obama ...and we all see how THAT is turning out LOL

[ShooterJohn]

[CoyoteHuntress]

Give me some of that John... And where is the butter?

[ShooterJohn]

No it's all mine!

[CoyoteHuntress]

No it's all mine!

You Stingy Butt LOL

[Switch]

There are lots of Dermestid sp. out there in the wild that can cause harm to your mounts. Many infestations come from the wild on pieces or skulls that were brought in from the outdoors and had a colony or pair tagging along. Dermetid maculatus, the one most use for skull cleaning is an amazing worker when it comes to cleaning skulls, but is relatively weak when it comes to temperature change. Get outside the temp. window of 45-90 degree F and they don't last long. Other, tougher members of the Dermestid family do real well in adverse condtions. All can be taken care of with a bug bombing.

[Railguner]

I BOMB shall be detonated tomorrow! Here is my main mount. A Tule Elk that only took 15+ years to draw. Replacement cost ......$30K at least. That's what the dam Grizzly Island tag goes for each year. Also my dads first Elk...a 383 Bull from a couple years ago.Again... I REALLY appreciate your help guys! RGMy 2001 Tule...Dads 383 Bull...

[CoyoteHuntress]

Wow That is some MASS!

[Divernhunter]

I do hope your are talking about the elk.

[yotekiller85]

WOW tell 'em CH don't let them ruin the mounts. lol

[Shoot-it]

Bug bomb that room right away those are some nice animals.

[Stan]

[ShooterJohn]

There its bug bombed.