Why Artists Use the Best Dermestid Beetles for Deer Skull Art Deer skull art has exploded in popularity and encompasses a wide variety of decorative styles, techniques, and intended purposes. While European mounts are traditional and highly sought after,...
Why Do the Best Hunters Use Dermestid Beetles for Hunting Trophy Cleaning? If you are a hunter and your hobby expands into European mounts, then you know first hand that the preparation and cleaning of animal skulls are critical skills looped right into the...
Mounted figures and skulls of birds, small mammals, and large game represent the art of taxidermy, or the preparing, stuffing, and mounting of skins of animals. Records of the practice date back to the 16th century. The art form has survived into the modern day to...
Skull cleaning is a process in which the skull of a hunted or trapped animal, or one that has expired due to natural causes, is prepared for display. It is an important step in taxidermy. However, it can be time-consuming, messy, and unpleasant, depending on the...
Taxidermists have a few options when it comes to preserving the bones of animal specimens. A few can be rather harsh, such as chemical treatments (i.e., tanning) and boiling, but skeletonization can be achieved in an easier, more natural way—with dermestid beetles. In...
Flesh-eating beetles, or dermestids, are harmless beetles that eat flesh off animal carcasses and human remains. The larvae of dermestid beetles feed continuously until all that’s left is bone. This process is known as skeletonization and is often used by...