BUGS! Taxidermists what are they?

[Tajue17]

I discovered these little black bugs eating my fletching and found they had eating all the fur off a deer scull that I had in my basement,, I think they came in with the deer scalp that was hack sawed off a skull of one of the small bucks I recently got but the scalp fur was all eating off and  looked like a pile of dirt around the skull,,,,,, a closer look I seen these little beetle looking bugs crawling around and some where eating some arrow fetching I had nearby.   I sucked them all up with a vacuum then sprayed ant killer into the vacuum but now wondering if I should set a bug bomb off inside the room just in case.

[Terry Green]

Yes....I get Raid SMOKE bombs...that are literally smoke, not a liquid...from Home Depot...that's what my taxidermist uses....I bomb my office and conference room with them....forgot to do it for a while and some moths started in on one of my mounts...glad I caught it when I did!!!

[wingnut]

Sound like the flesh eating beetles that they use to clean skulls.  You don't want them in your house or shop.

BOMB them!

Mike

[stickandstring]

I have also had feathers damaged by small black things. I tossed out the infested feathers and sprayed. Ever since, I keep feathers sealed up.

[Cwilder]

That's what happens when you don't treat the fur right. Just skull capping and not treating the fur will cause it to get bugs

[Tajue17]

I hear ya but its my first time my butcher would just lop off the tops of the skulls for the hunters then put them on the box of meat.    when I discovered the  bugs I tool all my horns and that one skull and threw them in my pool, because the pool was being drained soon and just needed a place to put them.

I will get the raid bombs today,,,,,,, the RAID smoke bombs do they come in different applications like bees and ants or just all bugs,,, want to get the right one.

[Terry Green]

I only know of one type  that kills a lot of stuff

[Eric Krewson]

Get a gallon zip loc bag, put a few tablespoons of borax in the bag, put the fletching end of 3 or 4 arrows in the bag and give it a good shake. You will kill any bugs on your fletching and discourage any bugs from munching on them in the future.

[Olin Rindal]

If you have mounts in your house you should use the bug bombs at least once a year. Another trick is to a moth ball in the ears of the mount. Ive never have done this but it was suggested by a taxidermist.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Sounds like dermestid beetles. There are probably little brown rice-looking shells around the larva hatched from.  The eat anything not well tanned.  Bug bombs and mothballs in the ears as stated.  Older mounts that were instant tanned... especially if done poorly.... or skulls that have some remaining meat in nooks or crannies inside can be plagued with 'em.  Saw where they ate everything off of a antelope mount, including the horns, that was stored in a box in a closed cabinet one time.

R

[pete p]

dermestids.

[Kudu Kid]

Yes, a good chance they are dermestid beetles. I have a huge supply of turkey feathers for fletching.  They have all been sprayed with permethrin.  
Bug smoke bombs are good for rooms with mounts.  Moth balls disintegrate over time and need replacing, besides, I can't stand the smell of moth balls.

[Tajue17]

I got the raid fogger yesterday and it says it has odor neutralizer.    from now on I won't bring any more fur inside the house (basement cave)