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)

"Boiling" (actually a gentle simmering) can work well as long as you don't leave the skull in too long and you know what your doing..



As already mentioned, adding a little dish soap and/or washing soda helps, as does changing the water two or three times and rinsing the skull will clean boiling water every time you lift it out the pot..

On really oily skulls, you can soak the cleaned skull in white gas or acetone for a week or two, and that really helps remove the grease..

From personal experience, I would say rotting the flesh off in water is the worst process for producing a smelly skull, but even that can be dealt with once all the flesh has been removed..

I boiled the small one, didn't know what I was doing, didn't turn out well. The big one I just put in a bucket of water with a lid for a month, changed the water every day or so, and it turned out marvelous.



These I did by burying (Top) boiling (middle) and water bucket (bottom) For me, boiling was a pain in the butt. Burying works well unless you have black or red dirt. Good luck, I plan on doing all my animals European style.



I buried this one in black dirt and never did get it to whiten up. Lesson learned

I tried one, got impatient, then made this.



I'm going to call around tomorrow to check prices for someone with beetles to do this go around..

I like the soaking method, but you do have to have an understanding family due to the smell. Also, cover it or somehow protect it from squirrels, they love to chew the antlers!

I tried all methods, then had a beetle guy at Western Skulls do mine for about $125. Perfection. But I did not get really good at the alternative methods. Don't intend to, unless it is for small heads. My good stuff goes to a pro. Also, most of the pros finish their skulls with a treatment of 30% hydrogen peroxide paste you get from beauty supply places. Beetles alone will not get it nice and white.

thanks guys i got in touch with my uncle he said it worked good for buffalo skulls so i put some mealworms in on friday i will get some pictures up as soon as i can

Does it stink too bad even with a lid? Just curious as I am eager to try it, but live in a neighborhood. Thanks.

keep the lid on or better yet lid on and in a shed and it should keep the neighbors at bay

If you change water often enough it won't be bad.

If you walk away for a week and its over 100... not so good. Without lid.

Of course your neighbors wouldn't like me opening the lids to our catfish chum buckets either.

If you change the water, don't use tap water if it contains chlorine as it will initially kill off the bacteria on the skull and set things back a few days..If possible use rain water or similar..

The thing will stink to high heaven, but is only really bad when its disturbed /stirred up..If you locate it outside and as re not using a lidded container, cover the antlers with plastic bags or similar, otherwise the sun and the rain can end up taken weathering the colour out of them.

Also, if its a nice head, be aware of it being stolen by 2 legged critters..I remember a member hear having a head stolen in similar circumstances..

I have numerous mounts that were boiled and then a paste of Borax soap applied to whiten, they all came out very nice. But agree with other posters that my beetle cleaned skulls are the nicest.

I did have the euro mount of my largest mulie mount stolen off my back porch.

Thank god for good taxidermists. Graves Taxidermy, Uvalde, Texas: