Clothes moths in mounts

[O. hemionus]

Any taxidermist recommendations for treating mounts that have been attacked by clothes moths? I've found a few webbing clothes moths on one of my mounts, and the larvae are consuming the hair. Has anyone used Bedlam Plus to kill the insects or used Protex to protect the mounts?

[BlackRiverTaxidermy]

Your not going to like this answer.....but if there is damage to the mount itself then there is really not a lot you can do for the damage that has already been sustained. However, you can prevent further damage.
Moths, mites, and beetles such as 'carpet beetles' that are common for this area can get into mounts and start to chew on the hides and in particular the roots of the hair follicles, causing hair to come loose and fall out. Look for areas around the antlers/horn pedicles  and back of the mount where the hide is glued or stapled to the backing board base; this seems to be the starting area for most critters that like to chew on the hides. Don't look for actual bugs as most of them are pretty darn good at remaining hidden and very small, especially mites. Look for damage or hair coming out or falling off. The hide/leather can also appear to have very small chew spots on it which mimics a porous look to the leather. 

The best thing to do is bug-bomb your trophy room or mounts at least every 6 months as  preventative. I use the Hot Shot brand bug bomb. I've used different brands, but this one seems to penetrate areas very well instead of just surface protection, plus it has a deodorizer so it doesn't leave a harsh chemical smell. My dermestid (flesh-eaters) beetle colonies are in a completely separate building from my main taxidermy studio, and I have a stringent process of ensuring no bugs come through on euros to the studio for whitening of the skulls, however I still bug-bomb about once a month as a preventive.

What I would do O.Hemionus is get a big black plastic bag, like a 55 gallon commercial size. Put the mount in the back and set off one of those bug bombs in it for a concentrated effect. Let that mount stay in there for half a day and then remove and let it air out for an hour or two be putting back to its original spot. I would also bug bomb the room you have your mount in as well. Hope this helped.
Joel/BRT

[hunting4sanity]

@BlackRiverTaxidermy Joel, do you think permethrin spray (like Sawyer's) that is used to treat clothes and gear for ticks, etc. would be another option?

[BlackRiverTaxidermy]

@BlackRiverTaxidermy Joel, do you think permethrin spray (like Sawyer's) that is used to treat clothes and gear for ticks, etc. would be another option?

Ive never used something like that nor have I heard of it. I did some research and it appears to be good stuff for repellent. HOWEVER, the only thing I dont like about that idea is that it is a spray. A spray will actually land and adhere to the article, in this case a mount, and Im not sure what that chemical would do to organic material such as hair or leather. Therefore I don't know if I would use it. The Hot Shot I use is a fogger, so while there is still some contact with the chemical to a mount, it is in aerosol form, so its very slight. A spray would apply a much greater density of chemical which concerns me. Just my 

[CaNINE]

A few years ago a buddy's moose mount started shedding hair around both ears.  Upon close inspection we found some small moths.  We built up a small enclosure in his shop with black plastic.  Put the mount in there and set off a bug bomb.  No more moths.  Ever since I've been paranoid about my own mounts and give them all a periodic inspection.

[Rob]

I had a problem a few years back.  Little tiny moths - I always called them millers.  I think they are also called carpet moths.  They eat wool clothing too.

I sprayed my mounts with Cedar scented SLA spray.  knocked them out and they have not returned.

I also put cedar scented moth packets into my drawers with wool clothing as they were in there too.

They can be quite destructive!