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has any one ever used mealworms do get the meat off the skull for a european mount ?

I took mine to a taxidermist and he used beetles, I think they are called white beetles...? I could check with my brother to confirm, but the guys uses beetles, not mealworms.

Dermestid beetles.

That's it...thanks for helping me remember

Beetles work well if you have access to them. I had a friend with some (which he didn't maintain properly and no longer has). I have boiled a few skulls as well, they all turned out the same, but the beetle colony can take a lot of the work out of the process.

Beetles are very good if you can get them, but once the skull is clean, you must remove/kill every last bettle before hanging bring the skull into the house or you risk triggering an infestation. I believe the usual way is to stick the cleaned skull in the freezer for 24 hours.

Another good cleaning method is to roughly skin the skull off, and then leave it soak in water for a few weeks. The bacteria basically eat the flesh as it rots off. It will smell something terrible, so you need to put it some where out of the way while the bugs do their work..

mealworms eat grains and veggies(hence "meal" aka ground grain) dermestid beetles however work well, just dont let them get near any of your regular mounts

I've done quite a few elk and deer with the boiling method and it works fine unless I overcook them and the bone thins out. It's pretty labor intensive though.

However, a beetle cleaned skull comes out much better IMO. They are super clean and perfect.

Boiling is the worst way you can do it. Unless you just barely heat the water.

In the process you will liquify the grease/fat, and it will work its way into the bone pores. You will never quite get those skulls as white as you will hope to. And there will always be a slight odor to them.

Neither may bother you, and that is up to you.

the simple rotting in water is the best route if you don't have beetle access.

Though I"ve never tried mealworms, they may be fine.

I may try the rotting method this fall.

How long does it typically take? I'm from MN and it starts getting cold here in late October so I'm not sure there would be enough time before it freezes.

the rotting method (bacterial maceration in water) works quite well -- especially if you put an aquarium heater in the bucket -- 5-10 days will do it.

need a well-fitting lid and a tolerant family though, it stinks

A pressure washer is a fast way to get 95% of the meat, brains, eyes, etc. off the skull before you soak it.

Heard of the tank heater thing too.

Here in TX I don't do skulls in teh winter as I don't have a heater. Just wait till its hot, 100 or so and takes a week.

My buddy has used the pressure washer before rotting and says as above, helps a lot. I just don't own one either.

For MN, I would not tackle it now personallly.... put in freezer and wait. Unless you pressure washed and put tank heater in it as noted or at least filled with hot tap water 2-3 times a day...

I'd be worried that'd dilute the bacterial concentration too much.

you can get a tubular aquarium heater for $30 at any pet store and it'll keep the water at 100* as long as you don't go over about 20 gallons

I suspect it depends on how hot your tap water is. Ours we keep areound 120 or so.

But good point!

if you use the "boiling" method always put some laundry soap in the water. after the initial cook I use a pressure washer to take some of the work out of cleaning. then wrap the antlers, horns etc. with tin foil to preserve the color and add about 5 pints of peroxide to your water just to the base of said antlers. cook for 12 hrs at a low simmer and the skull is white.

If you are going to simmer it, add some Arm and Hammer Washing Soda to the water. Be careful though, it will eat an aluminum pot.

If you are going to rot it off in a bucket (macerate) add some Rid-X to the water to get the bacteria started.

Simmering doesn't smell if the skull is fresh. Smells like soup. Beetles and rotting both leave a horrible smell, so you need to really wash it afterwards, bleach it in peroxide, and leave it in the sun to finish it off.

Matt-
Are you familiar with the fresh horse manure method?

I had folks from UAF come and get freshly dropped apples for skeletons they were cleaning.

Bones and fresh manure in a big trash bag. BacT does the rest.

So I hear. Haven't done it myself. not sure of level of staining.

I'll usually put a ball or two in the bucket. speeds things up quite a bit but I've done it without too, when it wasn't convenient to get "freshies". (it just takes longer)