Professional Skull Cleaning
Specializing in Quality Dermestid Beetles
Professional Skull Cleaning Services
Dermestid Beetle Skull Cleaning & European Mount Preservation
Kodiak Bones & Bugs Taxidermy has long been trusted for professional dermestid beetle skull cleaning, European mounts, and skull preservation services. As Ken begins stepping back from the skull cleaning side of the business, that work is now being continued through Mayhem Mounts, operated by Becca and Kyle Tidwell.
Mayhem Mounts is now the professional skull cleaning and European mount preservation portion of Kodiak Bones & Bugs. Becca and Kyle are career wildlife biologists, avid hunters and anglers, and trained preservation specialists who have studied under Ken and spent the last two years advancing their equipment, workflow, and skull cleaning techniques.
Using dermestid beetles, careful degreasing, whitening, and detailed finishing, Mayhem Mounts helps turn each harvest into a clean, professional display piece that can be appreciated for years to come.
Advantages of Skull Cleaning Beetles
While there are various methods available for skull cleaning services, such as boiling or composting, the use of flesh-eating beetles stands out as a superior choice. Not only does it ensure a comprehensive cleaning, but it also preserves the intricate details and delicate structures of the skull.
Here are just a few of the reasons to choose professional skull cleaning services with skull beetles:
Deep and Detailed Cleaning – It’s the larvae of the dermestid beetles that do the actual cleaning. They meticulously remove flesh, even from the deepest recesses of the skull. This level of precision ensures that every nook and cranny is addressed.
Preservation of Delicate Structures – Tools, especially when used by less experienced individuals, can leave marks and damage delicate parts of a skull. The most vulnerable of these are the nasal bones. Regrettably, some skull cleaning services damage or entirely remove these fragile structures. However, using dermestid beetles avoids such issues.
At Kodiak Bones & Bugs Taxidermy, we believe that these nasal bones are vital, playing a role in defining the uniqueness of animals like bears, deer, moose, and caribou.
Odorless Results – A skull cleaned by dermestid beetles will have no unpleasant smell. This is because the beetles ensure all traces of meat are gone. Plus, there’s no risk of emulsified fats seeping into the bone, which can cause a lingering odor.
Bone Integrity – Some cleaning methods can weaken the natural structures of the bone, causing issues like loosened teeth or weakened suture lines. This is not the case with skull beetles. Furthermore, methods like boiling can cause the skull to shrink—another problem avoided with elk, bear, and deer skull beetle cleaning.
Post-Cleaning Enhancement – Once the skull cleaning beetles have done their job, the skulls undergo a degreasing and whitening process. The result? A pristine, naturally cleaned skull ready for display.
If you want a high-quality trophy, trust Kodiak Bones & Bugs Taxidermy for expert elk, bear, and deer skull beetle cleaning.
Skull Cleaning Services
Mayhem Mounts provides skull cleaning and European mount preservation for a wide range of species, including:
- Deer
- Elk
- Bear
- Pronghorn
- Caribou
- Moose
- Bison
- Cows
- Carnivores
- Birds
- Small skulls
- Unique preservation projects
No project is too big or too small for the bugs. If you have a special specimen or custom project in mind, please reach out to discuss the details.
How to Ship Skulls for Skull Cleaning Services
Before shipping, skulls should be fleshed as much as possible, frozen, and securely wrapped in multiple layers of plastic trash bags. USPS Priority Mail typically delivers within 2-3 days. Please notify us before sending your shipment so we can anticipate its arrival. Once received, each skull is assigned an identification tag to ensure proper tracking. (For bear skulls, any required seals must be affixed before cleaning.)
Species / Skull Type | Price |
Birds | $65 |
Skulls Under 5 Inches | $100 |
Deer/Spike Elk | $200 |
Carnivores | $250 |
Pronghorn | $250 |
Elk/Caribou | $275 |
Bison/Cows | $350-$450 depending on size |
Moose | $500 |
Professional Skull Cleaning by Dermestid Beetles
Dermestid beetles, often called flesh-eating beetles or skull cleaning beetles, provide one of the most effective and natural methods for cleaning skulls. Unlike boiling or harsh chemical methods, dermestid beetles carefully remove tissue while helping preserve the delicate details of the bone.
This process is especially useful for preserving:
- Nasal bones
- Teeth
- Fine skull structure
- Horn and antler bases
- Fragile bone details
- Natural skull shape and character
When managed properly, dermestid beetles provide a precise cleaning process that is trusted by taxidermists, museums, collectors, hunters, and wildlife professionals.
Please ship skulls to:
Mayhem Mounts
P.O. 251 Carson, WA 98610
Once the skull is fully cleaned, it will be securely packaged and shipped via Priority Mail or the shipping method of your choice. We will notify you at the time of shipment and provide a tracking number for delivery confirmation. To ensure a finished, pest-free skull, we implement strict quality control measures to prevent any live skull beetles or larvae from remaining in the final product.
If you are searching online for “skull cleaning beetles near me”—we have you covered! We are confident you will find that we offer high-quality skull cleaning services at competitive prices.
Why Choose Mayhem Mounts?
Mayhem Mounts is the result of Becca and Kyle’s love of biology, outdoor pursuits, and artistic creation. During their college years, they tended a dermestid colony that prepared specimens for laboratories and a natural history museum. That experience allowed them to work with a variety of animals and develop hands-on preservation skills.
Now practicing career biologists, Becca and Kyle bring a scientific and detail-focused approach to skull cleaning. They also understand the effort behind each hunt because they are hunters and anglers themselves.
Their goal is to approach every project with attention to detail, respect for the specimen, and a customer-first mentality.
How Long Does Skull Cleaning Take?
Proper skull cleaning and degreasing takes time. Clients are often surprised that a finished skull can take 3–6 months, depending on the species, skull size, condition of the specimen, and amount of grease in the bone.
The timeline below helps explain where the time is spent during each step of the process.
| Step | Description | Estimated Time |
| Skull Preparation | Skinning, eye and brain removal, and drying the skull for the beetles | 1–2 days |
| Skull Beetling | Once cleaned and dried, the skull is offered to a hungry dermestid beetle colony | 1–30 days depending on skull size |
| Degreasing | The skull is soaked in a water bath and solvent mixture to extract grease from the bone | 1–3 months depending on species; carnivores can take 3–5 months |
| Whitening | The skull is soaked in a whitening mixture | 1–5 days depending on size and condition |
| Gluing & Finishing | Teeth, jaws, horns, and bone pieces are reassembled and finished as needed | 1–5 days depending on size and species |
Carnivores, cows, bison, pronghorn, and antelope often require additional attention during degreasing and finishing.
Legal Requirements for Taxidermy & Skull Cleaning
As professional taxidermists and career biologists, we ensure our process follows all applicable state and federal laws. Clients are required to provide the necessary information when checking in a specimen.
Client privacy is important. Your information is never shared except by official request from designated state enforcement entities.
Please be prepared to provide the following information at check-in:
- Customer details: Name, phone number, and address of the person who acquired the specimen
- Specimen details: Species and quantity of wildlife or parts received
- Acquisition information: Date the specimen was acquired by the taxidermist
- Origin details: Date the animal was killed and the specific location or area where it was harvested
- License, tag, or permit information: The hunter’s license, permit, or tag number associated with the legally harvested animal
Species-specific and location-specific rules may also apply to some specimens.
Furbearing Mammals & Sealing Requirements
For furbearing mammals, please review the applicable sealing requirements before bringing in or shipping your specimen. Please consult the laws and regulations of the state of harvest to ensure compliance.
Helpful resources include:
- Washington furbearer trapping regulations
- Oregon furbearer trapping and hunting regulations
Non-conforming specimens will not be accepted.
Chronic Wasting Disease Requirements
Chronic Wasting Disease is changing how hunts and harvested wild game can be transported across the West. Please consult local guidelines to ensure compliance with state laws before transporting or shipping your specimen.
Helpful resources include:
- Washington Chronic Wasting Disease information
- Oregon Chronic Wasting Disease information
Non-conforming specimens will not be accepted.
Contact Mayhem Mounts
Have a skull cleaning project, European mount, or unique preservation request? Please contact Mayhem Mounts before bringing in or shipping your specimen.
Mayhem Mounts
Becca and Kyle Tidwell
Phone: 503-708-1283
Email: Mayhemskulls@gmail.com
We love working on unique projects and helping turn each harvest into an heirloom piece that can commemorate the hunt for generations to come.