Do you simmer or boil a skull? Do you do it for money? 

If so you need to understand  why most professional taxidermists, almost every museum, other institutions  and most serious hobbyists do not use this method.

There are many people that do their own euro trophies and the vast majority do them by the simmer/boil method. This process may work well enough to make the skull owner happy, but there should be a higher standard for anyone producing Euros for clients.

These people should educate themselves on actually making a professional mount that has as little bone damage as possible. The problem with the simmer/boil method is it actually destroys the structure of bone by melting collagen which is the structural building block that makes bone hard.  This process will weaken skulls and cause the surface to become rough, flake or shed calcium dust, none of which is a good thing..

Add to the fact these people do not seem to know that bleaching a skull does not remove any grease and the heat process tends to drive fats deeper into the bone not out of it.

Mixing Dawn into water and simmering may remove the surface grease but it will not touch the deep grease. Oils left in the skull often migrates to the surface  producing a yellow or splotchy colored mount.

If you are doing skulls professionally you should provide a quality product and that takes time...there is no such thing as a one day quality Euro mount. There is information available in doing Euros that will stay white and not show damage and it is not hard to find!

One other point I want to make - just because you see something on U-Tube does not make it right. Especially when the do-er has no idea what is being done to their trophy.

Because it looks OK now and it is cheap is no reason to destroy what could be a skull of a lifetime!

MITES AND DERMESTID BEETLES part 2

Last week Information about how mites gain access to a colony was discussed.
 There is one point that needs to be clarified.
 There is one way mites might actually introduce themselves into a colony,

I shudder to consider the situation ever happening to me......If mites were introduced into a work area from an infested skull, or other specimen and that area was not routinely cleaned, mites could be transferred into any work area or even into the home. From there they could hitch a ride and potentially gain access to the bugs, or dog food or any other area that might provide food.

They would not be drawn to the beetle food but they are capable of exploring their area and accidentally entering the colony would be possible. This situation is similar to an infestation that occurred several years ago in one of the major institutions which shall remain nameless in this blog.

Do you see why I would never admit to having mites 'find' my dermestarium? I would be saying I don't have a clue about these critters and assume they have abilities they do not have...and we all know about assuming something!

If you are interested on learning more about mites the new book is also sold at my Createspace store
as well as at Amazon.com

MITES AND DERMESTID COLONIES

How do mites gain access into a dermestid colony?

Are they brought in by flies? Are they attracted to dog food and walk in? Does humidity spikes bring them in? 

None of these are correct. 

Mites are tiny creatures that can move about in their enviroment but they have limits. They are incapable of long distance travel on their own. They need a specific humidity to thrive but they cannot sense  a colony that has high humidity.

They cannot 'find' dog or cat chow in a colony box and they certainly will not invade any colony that has high protein feed in it.

No matter what a person's experience is or what they assume none of the of the above have any place in reality! 

I have spent a lot of time studying mites and know how they can infest a dermestid colony and none these scenarios 'attract' mites.

However, there is a connection to dog or cat food because many producers of dry pet food have an issue with dermestid beetles which mean they also have mites. These processing plants are not inspected as they do not process human food. In this case the animal food is infested at the processing plant with mites and possibly wild dermestids.

High protein, high fat dog or cat food is an excellent food for dermestids

 but it needs to be treated like any other food item that goes into the box - but more than one person has probably infested their own colony by not knowing anything about mites so before you feed - freeze it or heat it to 120 degrees. 

These insects can have threats to their lives but the biggest problem they have is user ignorance. Too many people utilize these interesting animals and yet know very little about them.  

That is why I wrote the new book on dermestid beetles. There are answers to questions and ways to protect the well being of the colony. 

If you want to know more then visit Dermestidbeetles.info for more information on the NEWEST, MOST INFORMATIVE MANUAL ON RAISING DERMESTID BEETLES.

New information on dermestid beetles will be available on Amazon around October 15.

The book is titled

 DERMESTID BEETLES - Successfully Raising Dermestes maculatus & Avoiding Common Problems. 

http://dermestidbeetles.info
$27.99 + shipping,  Over 110 pages of information on MITES, HUMIDITY PROBLEMS and other issues common to dermestid colonies.

FALL AND HUNTING SEASONS - Time to consider a Euro Mount.

Hunting Season and Trophys

It is September and another hunting season is upon us and many people will be lucky and will want to have their trophy mounted. The cost of a full sized shoulder mount for either deer or elk can be very expensive. There is another choice and that is Euro mounts. These are quite reasonable and require a lot less wall space than the traditional mount.

It is surprising how many small taxidermy shops exclusively do this type of mounting. Many do the skull cleaning with dermestid beetles as they do not do any damage to the bones and there is not grease driven into the bone from boiling. The time it takes to do the job is generally a lot shorter than the traditional methods.

In my case I will be doing some flesh removal but no complete jobs. Too many things for that this year with my  new book on Dermestid Beetles coming out sometime this month. Having a complete

book on the care and feeding of Dermestid Beetles 

should be a big help for many new colony owners. At this time the book is over 120 pages of information, covering everything from building a containment to proper care and feeding to pests that can destroy a colony. This new book is the most complete guide available debunking a number of assumed thoughts on mites and feeding and ventilation. All information is based on good science not just conjecture.

I'll announce when it will be available on Amazon.

RAISING DERMESTED BEETLES - STRANGE HOBBY FOR A GRANDMOTHER?

Strange hobbys - Bones and Bugs

I'm wondering how many older retired women start odd or unusal hobbys. When I think older I visualize cooking, gardening, art even fishing but bugs doesn't seem to fit.
Then I consider the skulls I have fleshed and then finished, those structures are quite beautiful in their own right, a form of art created by nature. I like exposing the structure to its simplest form!

Of cource, I also cook, garden, and love to fish...so maybe the only thing odd is bugs and I rather like my little herd of insects.

My next hobby is already started....I'm writting a book and have another one in the background. Over the years I have gained experiences in many outdoor activities, fishing, hunting, boating and hiking throughout eastern Washington. There has to be a book or two for a gal to write!

Have a great weekend.

DEER SKULL TO BE DE-GREASED NEXT

The deer skull is totally without flesh - the beetles did a fine job.

I'll get my degreasing tub out tomorrow and put the detergent water and get the  heater cranked up. Give that puppy a couple of weeks and then see what needs done. I find cleaning skulls boring. You wait, you look, you wait, you look. Pat's bear took MONTHS to finely get clean....but it was worth all that time because it is clean and grease free. 

I just reset all the teeth this week. The small bear is next.  By that time I'll be waiting on the deer. 

I am going to get some pictures of my bugs soon. I've got a couple of other projects that are almost completed and photos are necessary. I have some bugs grazing on deer and some showing the size difference between males and females...that most never see in their own bugs.

I raise really good dermestids!

SKULL CLEANING WITH DERMESTIDS - TRICKS

Dermestid beetles are capable of turning a head into a clean skull in a few days.

I took my freshly cleaned colony and added a deer head. This colony has stripped heads in three days and it is even larger now.  Today is day 3 and it needs another day or so to finish. It took me a little while to figure out why the bugs are so slow - then I realized the problem. Temperature.  So simple and I know just what a few degrees can do.

Even though it is summer our temps have been lower than usual and the building my colony is in has been cooler than I like. Nighttime temps went into the 50s and my small room was just a little over 60 degrees.

Dermestid beetles are very active between 70 and 85 degrees...Raise the temps and you raise their metabolism  and they need to eat more.

That is a trick most dermestid users do not know. 

This afternoon those larvae and beetles were busy and cleaning just as they should. All is well in beetledum when the heat is on!

THE BEETLE COLONY WAS A BIT CHILLY - AC IS WONDERFUL WHEN IT'S HOT

Bugs really do not like air conditioning if the temps drop to under 65 degrees.

The cover over my vent slipped and my little room was less than warm. The beetle herd came out for their drink but then the critters were in a huddle when I put the deer skull in the containment box.

I put the cover back and and closed the door so my little bug room would warm up. It is quite strange when the summer heat feels like chilly fall. Those bugs were obviously huddled...I came back in an hour and all was well in the bug house and the skull and jaw were covered in larvae

I told the clean up crew to get busy and get the job done. My herd of bugs are so interesting and I have developed a fondness for them.

BONES, SKULLS AND SKELETONS - LUNCH FOR A BEETLE

Flesh Eating Beetles, chew all the bones clean!

Having a colony of these insects provide a lot of strange conversations. Most people do not have any idea of what they are or what they are used for. 

When you say "they're bugs that eat the meat off skulls and skeletons," peoples mouth drops open slightly and the verbal response is - "THEY DO WHAT?" Then, "WHY?"

It is then you know you've lost them...they are icked out and have no desire to learn anything more.

Occasionally you will find someone that is a kindred soul. They are interested, they UNDERSTAND...and you can actually have a conversation without seeing eyes rolling and the look.

People with curious minds are wonderful! They might not have bugs but they will have something else that's kewl.  Oh yes, one other thing about this kind of people.....their minds never grow old from not being used. Curiosity keeps them young.

SKULL CLEANING - THE ART AFTER THE BEETLES

From Skull to Trophy in Three Steps.

After the beetle colony removes all the flesh from the skull, it needs to have the grease removed from the bone and then bleached to the desired shade of white. The process can be short, resulting in a natural bone color or to a complete dazzling bright, white.

The bleaching process is accomplished with hydrogen peroxide, this chemical also disinfects the bone.   

    

When finished the skull should be sealed to prevent dust and hand oils from restaining it.

Some people love the white look while others want natural. However, there choices that are less traditional - metalized, with or without patina, stained in most any color and even dipped coatings such as camo.  

This part of skull finishing is turning  bone into a beautiful work of art.

DO YOU HAVE A DERMESTID BEETLE COLONY?

Cleaning skulls for fun or profit.

If you have a beetle colony you may use it to clean skulls or you are a hobbyist using them for pretty much the same thing. The difference is money or pleasure, the bugs do not care. Their only goal is to survive and their owners provide skulls, bones and food as well as the daily drink. For them that's probably better than living in the wild. There they face food sources that may be scarce, possible predation from birds and other insects.

Bugs life in a colony is secure and safe,

Most owners realize that these insects are important to them because they do a great cleaning job. They are also generally well cared for and protected from anything that can threated the colonies well being as the owner fas a large investment of time and money in the colony.

The Bone Cleaners, natures clean up crew that also works for people! The colony can be compared to a living tool.

VENTILATING MY BEETLE COLONY - ODOR CONTROL

This last year we have kept my colonies in a small, closet size room. The boxes have passive ventilation and the room is heated, cooled and humidified as needed, it also has it's own ventilation setup. This has worked decently but it is not what is needed.

We are now in the construction phase of the new, in box, mechanical ventilation system.

No more dermestid frass odor, no skull smells, no more humidity spikes...life is good at the bug farm!

The system will be set up for at least 3 colonies with room to add more, low flow air exchanges and that type of system will not create health problems for my bugs -unlike the bath fan for a freezer which dries out eggs and small larvae. That kind of air movement is like being in a 10 mile an hour wind, nasty living condition even for a beetle!  I am so pleased...of course, I tend to be easily pleased.

After we get this thing built and installed we plan on making the information on construction and the math to gage sizes of piping and other components available. More on that later.

SKULL CLEANING WITH DERMESTID BEETLES

Flesh eating beetles are a great way to clean skulls and bones.

A moderately large colony of dermestids can clean a deer or bear skull in just a few days. Every bit of tissue inside and out will be consumed by the hungry larvae. There is no spot to small to clean as the newly hatched larvae utilize these areas that the bigger ones cannot push into. Nature provides a place at the table for every size class of these insects. 

The larvae will clean the inside of the skull and the nasel cavity leaving the delicate nasel bones intact.

After just a few days your skull will look totally different from what you placed into that box. It is by no means a finished item but with a little more time and work it will be a work of art.

There are thousands of people who raise dermestid beetles. For many it is a hobby, they collect skulls or some even make art and jewelry from bones. Others clean skulls as a business. These people take a hunters's trophy and turn it into memories. 

A well done European style mount is a beautiful piece of nature.

BEETLE TRANSFER ALMOST FINISHED!

CLEANING A FŁESH EATING BEETLES HOME TAKES                                          TIME

After baiting bugs for a while it looks like I'm about done. Today's catch was down to mostly very small larvae. I am going to start house cleaning on the second colony next week.  I'll leave the traps in and try to get as many of the tiny ones as possible.

I really need to get some more meat for the crew..going to talk with two meat cutters.  Hopefully, that will get me what I need. The bug kids eat their dog chow fine but they love their meat.

 That's what you get for raising bugs that are carnivorous.

Just another problem facing anyone trying to raise these insects until you get enough stored flesh. However, even if you do have lots of wild game meat frozen, you will still need to provide some fatty meat to the bugs. Most do not do this but there are reasons why and some time I'll tell a little story that I have spent 2 years researching.

Enjoy the rest of the day and happy bugging!

INFORMATION ON DERMESTID BEETLES

Dermestid beetles and their colonies do not have to stink!

You can find two thoughts on dermestid beetles and the smell of a colony...one group (those who are selling) and then others. The two seem to have totally different opinions.

 Many sellers use terms like worm bedding or musky or earthy, and those terms actually fit.....if you only feed dry dog kibble and never put a skull in the box. 

Then things happen and not for the good. If the skull still has some brain matter you will probably be subjected to the most gagging, foul, nasty odors you have ever experienced unless you know a trick or two.

Actually there is no trick, just a very simple fix...called ventilation. 

This magical fix can be used with any size colony, from the small 5 gallon aquarium to a big chest freezer and if done right it will not cause problems for the critters. If done wrong it will cost you money, kill some of your bone cleaners and many exposed eggs.

More information on that subject later. I can't give up all my little bits of information just yet.

DERMESTIDS EAT MEAT

Cleaning skulls is easier than cleaning a dermestid colony

I'm still transfering bugs from the old colony to the clean one. We found that using a deli tray works pretty slick. I placed it down into the substrate and baited it with some moist fresh pork trimmings. The larvae can get in but the sides are to slick to climb and  probably moved a couple hundred today. I baited the tray again and will check it in the morning. Hopefully this chore will be  done by next week this time.

Then I'll start on box number two. Shuddering at the thought of another multi-thousand transfer but it is part of having a colony or three of dermestid beetles.

It is always surprising at how many small larvae you find hiding out until you get a lot of the bigger ones out. Those are going to be the bone cleaners in three or four weeks.

DERMESTID BEETLES - EASY TO RAISE

The title is semi-true, until you hear,  "my colony has mites or my colony is dying". Those words are typed or spoken a lot in forums that are frequented by people using the bugs for skull cleaning.

The truth about raising these animals is not many people really know much about them. They feed them, water them sometimes and then walk away. These small creatures tend to survive until they don't.

It's a shame because dermestids are an interesting  insect that left their tooth marks on dinosaur bones and continue to survive today in pretty much the same form.

I AM BUGGY....DERMESTIDS ARE WINNING

Cleaning a Dermestid Colony - is a dirty job

I'm still transfering beetles out of the old box into the fresh home.  My roadkill deer bones are all used up so I am going to have to clean out the freezer.

THOSE BUGS CANNOT OUTSMART ME!

Fresh meat will bring them out and they will be moved. That's tomorrows job.

Flesh eating beetles are my odd pets and perhaps my money makers!

HOUSE CLEANING A DERMESTIÐ COLONY

Cleaning a Bug's house is a pain! 

There is no fast, or easy way to do this job and everyone I read about puts it off as long as possible. The chore is like cleaning the frig......only do it when you can't get any more things into it or it smells like something died in it.

I never go fast because if you do you'll will throw away a LOT of small larvae. I grew those things and don't want to toss any little bone cleaners away. With the adults reaching maturity there should be a big jump in numbers. We'll look to advertise one complete colony soon and another in about two months. By then they should clean a head in two or three days.

Another thought.....and yes my thoughts do jump around!

This past 2 years I've been making notes on bugs, and I finally filled my 7th notebook. There is so many interesting things to learn...if you are curious and enjoy digging.

We also got all the parts to start assembling the ventilation
system - three colonies linked into a low flow system. No odors, no humidity problems. The Dermestid  beetles will be so happy.

INFORMATION ON DERMESTID BEETLES

Real information is hard to find-Dermestes maculitus

There really isn't good information available on raising these beetles....so much miss information, bits and pieces that may be correct but not enought to really do anything with. If you need help or want to improve the beetle cleaning you are pretty much one your own.

 My goal is to learn everything about dermestid beetles!

BEETLES LIKE SALMON TOO

Dermestids feed on fish as well as meat.

The Bugs have cleaned a salmon carcass today. Those bones are beautiful, I need to clean and bleach them and make something! Today I tossed in half a salmon head into the box. We will see how they manage that - if they manage the skin I may put in a whole head

 I've seen salmon skeletons that are a work of art!

I did some searching for information again today.....there is so little real information out there. Mostly just sales stuff...simple information with nothing or real value. Such a shame. Soon others may find more information and help raising Dermestid beetles.

More tomorrow.

LARGE BEETLE COLONY WILL BE LISTED FOR SALE IN AUGUST

Dermestid beetles are the real flesh eating bug!

I think I am going to sell a complete large colony soon.

 I seem to have an over abundance of Bugs. 

That is a good thing but who needs three large colonies and small starter one. One thing is for sure I love that all the hard work and studying is now paying off.

My colonies are moving  into a growth phase. I've been working to raise numbers and it seems to have beeñ a success, looks like I've  had a huge jump in surviving pupae this month. Which in turn has provided more adults than I have ever seen before. I'll try to get a picture soon- knowledge is great!

Flesh-eating-beetles are kewl

Dermestid Beetles - The Bone Cleaners

Many people raise dermestid beetles, some sell small starter colonies, others use them to clean skulls and bones. They are a source of income to these folks.

The interesting thing is most hobbiest and a lot of the small businesses really do not have any inkling on what the colonies are capable of.

I started three colonies last year.  Today any one of those colonies those can clean a deer head in less than 2 days. Not bad from a start of less than 700 dermestids per box.  I researched the insects for about two years before taking the big step and buying them.  I've used the information that was dug out of every paper and book I could find to raise these critters.

I am quite pleased at the results so far...and hopeful that things continue.