If you are creating a European mount of a skull, especially one with antlers, you may want to consider Dermestid beetles as an alternative to the tedious and unpleasant process of boiling and manually removing hide and tissue from the skull. Antlers may be discolored by boiling water or hydrogen peroxide, and even a bird or small animal skull with no antlers can be quite a challenge to properly clean for a European mount display. Even very small tissue residue can create quite an unpleasant smell, and can attract damaging pests.
Dermestid beetles (Dermestes maculatus) are also called carpet beetles, skin or hide beetles, and larder beetles. They are late-stage carrion feeders, typically eating the parts of dead animals left behind by carnivores and vultures. In taxidermy and in museums, their ability to pick a skull or skeleton completely clean of any soft tissue is very useful in the preservation … Read the rest »