Ok guys and gals for those of you that dont already know maintaining a healthy productive dermisted beetle colony isnt an easy task. The bugs need food, water, heat, air flow and a certain humidity too keep things kosher. The absolute worst thing that can happen is a pest infestation of another beetle, mite , maggots, spiders etc. Some of these bugs will destroy your colony in a matter of days or weeks, or put the beetles in a state that they are not hungry. Maggots which turn into fly are a big carrier for introducing some of these unwanted pests into a dermisted colony. So when you have a 100 deer skulls in the freezer and there stacking up daily during hunting season you cant take a chance taking in a nasty, rotten maggot covered skull, if you do your asking for it...ive been there!
Heres a few tips that will help all parties concerned in the european mount process...
1. Try and get your skull to the taxidermist or skull cleaner ASAP.
2. If possible get the skull in a FREEZER, thats the absolute BEST option.
3. If you have the means to skin it, remove eyes, lower jaw and excess meat.
4. If you skin the head out and the flys find it before it makes it to the freezer, wash it off before you freeze it.
5. DONT salt the skull or spray bug killer or put ANYTHING on the skull.
6.If your in the Back Country and its going to be a few days before you can get it to the taxidermist, skin the face off, remove eyes , lower jaw, and excess meat. Bag it up tight and put in a creek if possible that way the flys cant get to it.ESPECIALLY IF ITS WARM OUT OR EARLY SEASON. If its in November and cold out, skin the skull and bag it up tight...normally the cold temps will curb the flys.
7. Bagging the skull up and throwing the skull in the garage or shed for a few doesnt make it safe, the flys always find there way in.
8. If you have an Elk, Moose or deer and cant get it to the taxidermist within a few days skin it out and place the skull in a big enough plastic tote or something to completely submerge the skull in water... IF YOU DONT OR CANT GET IT IN THE FREEZER, again so the flys cant get to it.
9. Another temporary option to freezing is skinning and cutting every stitch off meat off and putting a fan on the skull to dry it out, leave the fan on until you deliver the skull, it will keep the flys away.
If you have any questions i will be happy to answer them....
