click on 2nd bear for larger view

START YOUR DERMESTID BEETLE COLONY FOR PERSONAL USE OR YOUR OWN COMMERCIAL BUSINESS
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DERMESTID BEETLES DO THE WORK OF EATING ALL THE FLESH OFF OF SKULLS AND BONES
IMPORTANT FACTS TO KNOW WHEN BUYING DERMESTID BEETLES:
Because ADULT beetles (egg laying) are necessary to immediately build a population, make sure you are getting plenty of adults when you buy bugs. Many businesses will sell you mainly small larvae which will not increase your colony size until they reach adulthood and lay eggs. This could take up to 2 months before you have any new hatchlings in your colony.
Many businesses will tell you 100-300 beetles and larvae are enough to immediately begin cleaning skulls. This may be true if you were cleaning mice skulls, but to clean big game animals, you need thousands of beetle larvae. To attain numbers this high it takes time to build your colonies. Do not be fooled by people claiming you can build a working colony in a few weeks from a handful of larvae. Getting adult beetles is the key, and even if you started with 500 adults, it would take a month before all the baby larvae were big enough to eat large volumes of meat.

The number one reason people buy their beetles from us is that we continue to help and support our customers whenever they have a question about beetle care, skull cleaning, degreasing, whitening and mounting.
We have been cleaning skulls with Dermestid beetles for 14 years, and have experience with virtually all game species.

Most people boil skulls until the meat literally falls off. While cooking, the melted fat soaks into the bone. This results in greasy yellow skulls. Using beetles eliminates this problem.

The dermestid or carpet beetle belongs to the family Dermestidae. Dermestids feed on dry-moist animal material. There are many species of Dermestid beetles that are native to N. America and will invariably show up at a carcass. Domestic colonization of wild species has proven to be very difficult at best. The species most easily colonized is Dermestes maculatus. These beetles undergo complete metamorphosis; that is, egg, larval, pupal, and adult stages. The complete life cycle lasts about 45 days per generation. Adults (beetle looking), lay eggs which are too small to be seen with the naked eye. A few days later very small larvae hatch out which begin looking for their first meal. The larvae continue eating and molting 8 times before they reach about ¾ of an inch in length. This growing/molting period lasts about 30 days. It is the larvae that do the majority of the cleaning. The large larvae then find a quite spot and pupate. As they pupate their last outer larvae skin falls off leaving them somewhat yellow in appearance. 7 days later out comes an adult. Within a day or two the adult is laying 4-5 eggs a day and the whole process begins anew. The adults live for about 3 months

Once a dermestid beetle colony is well established (2-3 months), a deer skull can be cleaned in a day or two. Colonies can become extremely productive. The bear skull pictured above was cleaned by the beetles in less than 24 hrs.

Easy containers are plastic bins bought from large department stores. These bins last a year or so and cannot be beat at roughly $10 each. Heated sheds or heat lamps can keep your colonies warm during the winter months.

Maintenance is at a minimum to keep the colony healthy, the only drawback is the smell that a colony can create. A discrete location or some ventilation is a must. The beetles perform best at 70 - 80 degree temperatures, so keeping them warm is a must. They do not go dormant if temperatures drop below freezing, they die.

There are 2 options for purchasing dermestid beetles:

When you purchase our #1 "STARTER KIT" we will include:
1. An assortment of 250+ live adult beetles and larvae.
2. Plenty of bedding material that the beetles prefer to lay their eggs in.
3. 2 pages of instruction on how to construct/maintain your colony.
$55.00 + $12.50 shipping/handling

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Allow up to 7 business days for arrival

When you purchase our #2 "SUPER STARTER KIT" we will include:
1. Over 200 Adult beetles.
2. 800+ larvae which will ensure a "new batch" of adults within 3 weeks to start a second generation of young.
3. Plenty of bedding material that the beetles prefer to lay their eggs in.
4. 2 pages of instruction on how to construct/maintain your colony.
This Kit will get you cleaning deer sized skulls in 2-3 weeks
this option is will also enable you to start multiple colonies at once. 5. This is a lot of bugs
$230.00 + $16.50 shipping/handling
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These kits are in limited supply and are not always available. Call or e-mail for availability

All services require a $50.00 Deposit. Checks or MO's can be included in shipment or include/e-mail/phone-in Credit Card Number. Unpaid balance (including return shipping) will be due once the job is finished. We will call/e-mail with the final balance

2008 SKULL CLEANING PRICE LIST

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Male or Female	CLEANING DEGREASE WHITEN (prepared by you)	CLEANING DEGREASE WHITEN (prepared by us)	European Mounted on Oak Panel cleaned to plaqued (add $10 for walnut) (prepared by you)	GENERAL INFORMATION
Small rodents & Mustilids	$30	$40	$70...................	Click here for head cleaning information	*******
Coyote, Fox Bobcat,Lynx, Badger, Wolverine	$50	$60	$100	Please e-mail us with your questions, we are very good about e-mail and will get back to you within 24 hrs. If you must talk to a real person, call Skull Taxidermy 406-846-0002	Click here for our shipping and returns policy
Deer, Javelina, Goat, Antelope,	$75	$90	$135
Wolf, Mtn.Lion, Black Bear < 13" length, Boar < 13"	$85	$100	$155
Elk, Sheep,Black Bear > 13", G-Bear, Caribou, boar > 13"	$95	$110	$185
Bison, Cattle, Moose	$110	$135	$175

Skull Taxidermy
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	#1 Beetle Kit   $67.50
	Standard Beetle Kit with 75+ beetles/instructions/bedding

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Skull Taxidermy
1208 Kentucky St.
Deer Lodge, MT 59722
(406)-846-0002
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	#2 Beetle Kit   $246.50
	Over 6 #1 Kits. For speedy colony generation or multiple colonies