Bug Doctors are Here!!
General Topic
what kind of sign can you look for with the mounts and bugs....they cost to much to not take care of...is there a spray that will preserve the hair?
Does anyone know if that type of bug infestation can happen in the north country, as in Northern Quebec?
What about bird mounts? I've got a turkey fan I'm kinda fond of and would hate to lose it.
I'm very interested in this. I found some moths in my muskox and the hair was loose.With so much hair its hard to tell if its damaged hair or just loose.
Thank-you very much Pat.
If we don't have access to Gary and Heath's services, what can we do for prevention?
ex. Can we purchase anything from them and have it sent somehow?
I was on the fence about using their service. I spoke with them and everything seems legit. I have been putting it off because I haven't been seeing any problems/hair loss,etc.
I realize it is preventive maintenance but it does get costly if you are having 20-30 mounts treated.(I know it would cost alot more to re-mount everything)
Wasn't there extra costs involved also? Travel/lodging expense for the workers?
Looking forward to seeing the video.
Pat,
They were at my house on Monday....and I didn't return frommy hunt until Tuesday, so they left and headed for NE Pa., and then your house!!
Jake
I thought all the mounts were clean but after being reminded here, I took a flashlight and took a close look and sure enough, I see evidence of damage between the toes of my brown bear. Looks like I'll be getting on their waiting list.
Thanks for the reminder Pat.
Is the treatment residual? As in, how long before you may need another treatment? If you had the moths in the house couldn't they just re-infest the mounts?
Hunterdad,
You are correct, in addition to per animal charges (for mounts not previously treated), you also pay for meals and lodging. They also have a nominal charge to "refresh" mounts which have been previously treated.
That being said, compared to the anguish of seeing a single hair slip from any of my hunting trophies, overall the service is well worth the money, simply because of the piece of mind that it affords......
Pat, Did they mention the type or name of the insect...like
Anthrenus verbasci, or and other coleoptera (beetle) type or lepidoptera (moth)? I want to be better safe than sorry here.
So if a person is seeing signs of infestation on some of their mounts and doesn't have a turkey in there house. Where do you think the bugs originate from??
Rick
Why don't they sell their products to taxidermists ? We could all have our trophys treated prior to receiving them. They should go to a patent attorney.
WOW....my worst fear!
Awaiting photos and update Pat!
I spray ours once a year with store bought NON-Petroleum based type bug sprays. We have had some damage thru time and it's not real serious (to the naked eye anyway)...but in the past I have found these things you are talking about (shell and dust) and I have noticed hair being gone in places on the mounts too!
I just can't hack the spray well anymore also. But I'll keep up on doing it every year. The chemicals, even with a mask, is hard on your breathing and sinus!
awaiting more info (Thank's guys)!
Pat.. did they/you identify any of the dermestid beetles infesting your mounts other than the turkey?
I have treated one mount with permathon, (the stuff you use for ticks). It stopped the bugs but its probably not as effective as a profesional treatment. The mount I had bugs on was a home tan I have never had a problem with profesionally tanned capes. I also think humidity has a lot to do with it. The one I had bugs on was in a basement.
I have treated one mount with permathon, (the stuff you use for ticks). It stopped the bugs but its probably not as effective as a profesional treatment. The mount I had bugs on was a home tan I have never had a problem with profesionally tanned capes. I also think humidity has a lot to do with it. The one I had bugs on was in a basement.
Pat, Great topic at a good time. I recently found some dermestid moths in my moose mount. I guess the last few years, these moths have just went crazy, growing in numbers and I see them fly all over when I cut my grass. They will get in your house and destroy your mounts, so check your mounts carefully!
pictures and video please. this is a huge learning opportunity and would be a good feature article.
Soooo...do the bugs eat ?? or don't they ??
Feathers are a favorite for whatever reason....as is hair on non-treated stuff like Deer Feet Bow Racks done Natural Dry and then mounted and used! Also back in "93" I had a sheep horn tore up by boring bugs of some sort too! (bugs that burrow deep into the horn from the outside!)
Our mounted animals is The Hide/Hair.....and they were professionaly mounted here in the states (nao Africa).
So what is the break down on most animal mounts attacked by bugs and where mounted ????
There are two different insects that cause damage. One is a moth and the other is a beetle. I am not familiar with the moths, but the beetles are dermestid beetles (related to carpet beetles). The beetles are capable of digesting keratin, which is what fur, hair, horns, connective tissue, etc. is made of. When they get in your mounts, they are not eating protien, but keratin. Years ago, arsenic was used in tanning hides and capes and the arsenic would get into the fur, hair, skin, and connective tissues and would prevent dermestid bettles from damaging them. Now days, taxidermists cannot use arsenic and so all mounts are succeptible to bettle damage. The beetle larvae eat the hair at the roots, causing it to fall out. They also can damage horns of sheep, etc.
I had an infestation of dermestid beetles a few years ago and so I looked up some ways to control them. One of the first things I did was to identify the sources. I learned that dermestid beetles are often associated with mud-dauber wasp nests (they eat the dead wasp exoskeletons). Sure enough, I found an old mud-dauber wasp nest in a bathroom exhaust vent and that is where the beetles showed up first (in that bathroom). I also found larvae casings in some dog treats and determined that the beetle eggs must have been packaged with the dog treats. I removed those dog treats from the house. After taking some precautions to prevent the beetles from getting into the house, I never saw another one and had no more damage.
I wonder if you were to take all your mounts into one room and used a insect fog type "bomb" if that would kill them ?
Just found a bunch of casing all over the floor under my deer head in the reckroom and the hair is easily pulled out. Shit!!
Exactly how does one "do it right"??? You referenced the hides are improperly tanned. What is properly tanned exactly? I would think if it were that simple they would all be "properly" tanned. Please explain.
Dermestid? Those are the beetles they use for cleaning skulls, etc. aren't they?
Men in Black--
Your assertions that the bugs are eating protein makes it sound as though that protein exists because the hides were improperly tanned. That is misguided at best, because unless every hide were shaved to the leather, Keratin (or protein) will exist in the hair and fur. The bugs will eat that, but that has nothing to do with the tanning process as there isn't a taxidermist in the world who would shave a mount bald so as to remove all protein from it. If the bugs are eating protein left on the hide during tanning, that's one thing, but if they're eating keratin that is part of the hair/fur/hide, there's nothing anyone anywhere in the world can do to prohibit that during the tanning process without the use of the now outlawed chemicals.
My damage was also caused by moths. The young moths are tan colored and not but larger then a piece of pencil lead. Like I said earlier, there has been a bad infestation of them across the country. They will start at the ears, mouth eyes and base of horns. Like Pat described, look for sawdust looking fine residue, you will see it quite easily in the ears. Also look to see if the mount has lost alot of hair, or if hair easily pulls out with just a swipe of your hand. The reason they start in those ares described is due to cartlige in those areas..... Find a product that contains Permethrin, and you can spray or bomb your mounts. Ill try to get some pictures and product info for Perethrin. Check your mounts!
