Bugs on a mount. Taxidermy question?

[DBHIII]

I've noticed a couple of my rams got some bugs on them. Just when I think I've killed them all another will appear a week or two later. This has gone on the last couple of months and was wondering what this bug is and how to permanently get rid of it. Will it damage the mount? I noticed they only hang around my rams and won't get on any of the other animals.
Here's a pic



I know there're some beadle types out there that will destroy a mount in not too long of time. I've quarantined the rams from everything else, but can't seem to permanently get rid of these airborne bugs. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Chance Love]

Are they mainly near the horns, or just all over the mounts? How much did you pay for the mounts and how much experience did that taxidermist have? And that's not a nosey question, might be relevant.

[fishdog]

cant remeber what its called but a friend of mine sprayes something on all his mounts to keep bugs off

[J-J Matt]

I had some of those get into a couple of furs that I had done, but never on the mounts. Can't help you on the getting rid of them problem because I just threw away the furs.

[DBHIII]

Are they mainly near the horns, or just all over the mounts? How much did you pay for the mounts and how much experience did that taxidermist have? And that's not a nosey question, might be relevant.

Thanks Chance. I notice these lil suckers roam around the animal. When I try and pinch them they either fly off or dive right into the wool if I don't get them. Both came from different taxidermists. One from S.A. and the other from San Marcos. I paid $350 for one and $425 for the other. Both taxidermists came highly recommended, but I don't know the extent of their experience. Have you seen these particular bugs before?

[orlybow]

If there was any meat/flesh left inside of the horns by your taxi, it could be what's attracting those bugs to your rams now. Get up close and take a whiff of those horns...if you can detect a rancid smell coming from them, then that's probably the cause.

orlybow

[buck_wild]

They will destroy all your mounts if you don't get a handle on it now. EXTERMINATE THE WHOLE HOUSE !!!

[white devil]

Very bad. Put them in a freezer for a couple of days and drop some bug bombs.

[bowhuntertex]

they are not dermistide beetles (flesh eating). They almost look like a termite. I would bomb the house with a fogger. And as said above smell around the horns to make sure they don't smell like rotten flesh......

[Chance Love]

PM replied to.

[DBHIII]

[bboswell]

Share what you learned with the class....might help others with same trouble.

[DBHIII]

Here's what I've found so far

Thanks for all the recommendations and information provided

I believe to have identified the bug...

(Got this from another website)

COMMON CLOTHES MOTH

First of all, the adult stage (the moth) does no damage to fabrics or any other materials. In fact, during it's adult stage, it eats or consumes no food, living on what it consumes during the larval stage. It is this larval stage that this insect causes any damage by feeding on natural materials, wrapping itself in an open and chaotic web-mat of silk. Larvae are not normally visible or obvious in their day to day activities. The silk is produced by a gland just under the head from a special spinneret. Larvae may reach a size of almost a half inch and incorporate their rather large fecal pellets into their web-like mass. The fecal pellets are often mistaken for "eggs."

Adult females lay their eggs, all within a couple of days, fertilized or not, on substances that will support the larval stages. Unfertilized eggs, of course, do not hatch, but fertilized eggs will hatch, in a matter of days, depending on the temperature, and the larva will then crawl away and hide. Larvae molt some four times before they construct a cocoon to pupate. Cast-off pupal skins can often be seen protruding from cocoons.

The Common Clothes moth, in the larval stage, is the most important pest of Man's natural materials, far more than the Case-bearing moth, which looks quite like the Clothes moth. And yes, these pests can go from life cycle to life cycle, right in your house, in your closet or attic.

To minimize the chance of either of these pests, have your natural material (wool, linens, etc.) dry cleaned after each use. DON'T put them away "dirty." Clothes moths prefer to dine on materials with traces of body oils, perspiration and urine, so if your items are absolutely clean, you'll worry less. Our bodies constantly exude minute amounts of these attractive chemical tags, and just ONE wearing is enough to attract these pests. The larvae can leave large holes in natural materials.


Could also be this one, but I have not spotted any larvae on the mounts.
CASE-BEARING MOTH

So named because the larvae carry their pupal cases about as they feed and travel, case-bearing moths are much less likely to be found in your home than the Common Clothes moth.

Look for the faint, dark smudges on the wings of the adult. Â The wings have a very slight, darker, dusky appearance, compared with the clothes moth, giving it a slightly dull appearance. Â The eggs are visible only under a low-power microscope. Â The larva of the Case-Bearing moth is much more easily identified because of their cases, open on one end, and dragged about, wherever they go. Â The larvae only expose the first few segments, staying within their case for protection.

The larvae never leave their cases, and when ready to pupate, will seal off both ends of the case, and when the adult finally emerges, they cut through the end of the thin silken case. Â The Case-bearing moth is usually found around carpets and heavy woolen draperies. Â Case-bearing clothes moths are not that economically important, certainly not as much as the common clothes moth.


Solutions????

Some of these included placing your mounts in a deep freeze overnight, using bug bombs in your home, spraying chemical insecticides on your collection, and calling in an exterminator. The problem with all of these solutions are that they either are temporary (Freezing), ineffective (bug bombing) or dangerous to your mounts (sprays and using exterminators who's chemicals may affect color or cartilage like eyes and noses).

So now I need to investigate what really works and what will permanently remove them from my mounts. I'll update after some homework

[DBHIII]

Spoke to a few pest control experts and they recommended the following:

In order to get a handle on these moths you need to find the source of the infestation. In my case I believe that to be the ram. They recommended that I get my animal and place it in one of those heavy duty black trash bags. Throw a Prozap Insect Guard - No pest solid strip in there.

Just to be on the safe side I'm gonna forget the animal is in there and leave it for at least a couple months. Trash bag needs to be well sealed, air tight. That will kill all the bugs and will not allow them to spread.
Fumigating your entire house can be ineffective if you don't properly treat the source of the problem. I was also told that these moths do not come into your house from the outside. A lot of times the eggs were already in the fur of your animal. With the right temperature/humidity these eggs will turn into larvae and you will then have moths. This is not only the case with mounted animals, but with wool in clothing as well. Putting a pair of wool pants in your closet that weren't properly dried can cause the infestation. Poor taxidermy will help these bugs thrive.

If the infested area is not on one of your mounts, follow these guidelines: (they will eventually make their way to your animals if you don't get a handle on them now)
Step 1
Locate the source of the infestation. Use a flashlight to inspect clothing and carpets for telltale signs of moth infestation such as holes in clothing or other woolen items, moth larvae, or silk webs spun by the larvae. (If you find dried skins from larvae or sandlike droppings, they're likely from carpet beetles rather than moths. Clothes moths typically like dark, secluded places and may be found under furniture, in carpets or in boxes of stored clothing.)
Step 2
Thoroughly clean the infested area with soapy water.
Step 3
Vacuum the infested area, and continue to vacuum it regularly, disposing of the vacuum bags promptly, since they may contain the moths' eggs or larvae.
Step 4
Dry-clean all the items you suspect may have become infested with moths, or launder them in hot water. Even if you don't see any moths, there may be larvae embedded in the clothing that need to be removed.
Step 5
If the items are going into long-term storage, place them in a sealed, airtight container along with cedar chips or mothballs. If you're using mothballs, wrap them in paper so your clothes don't become discolored from contact with the chemicals. (Note that cedar chips are not 100 percent effective and must be sanded every year or refreshed with cedar oil in order to increase the odor they give off. Mothballs are more effective but can impart an unpleasant odor to your clothing.)
Step 6
Moth larvae typically feed on wool or other fibers derived from an animal (feathers, fur, felt), but they can also be attracted to sweat, hair or oils embedded in other fabrics, so clean all items well before putting them in storage.
Step 7
If the items are not going into long-term storage and it's not practical to put them in an airtight container, distribute some cedar chips or mothballs among them. Then, at least once a year, brush the items and expose them to sunlight to discourage further infestations.
I'll post some results later on once I get a handle on them. fingers crossed

[K9carlo]

thanks for the info