I ordered from the link rizzo provided and ordered both of the dvd's on the site as well. They are worth every penny.

The bugs themselves don't stink so I have them in my house right now to keep them warm. The video said they need to stay between 70-80 degrees for best performance. Anyncolder and they get slow and between 40-50 they start dying. And when you get into the 100 range they start trying to escape the enclosure by flying, which they don't do under normal circumstances. You can put a heating pad underneath the enclosure or a heatlamp over the enclosure to keep thek warm if necessary. But the temperature needs to be monitored.

You will need a plastic or glass enclosure that is well ventilated to house them and shredded paper for bedding material. And inbetween skulls you just feed them any kind of meat in small portions. It is a little project but it seems like overall it will be fun to do.

Thanks, I think we will try this in the spring. For years we've always boiled or simply let them sit out and let nature do the work, but the results are always disappointing.

if you're gonna boil human head...do it outside.  PSA

Yup, and as you can see by the pics rizzo has posted, bugs work.

Also in the video he used a 50/50 mix of dawn dish soap and water for degreasing and the same stuff as rizzo for whitening.

Tim likes Dawn for degreasing, I prefer Borax - same result. Also, always let the skull dry for at least 14 days before coating/painting/sealing the bone, as the pores in the bone need to completely close otherwise you will get mixed results.





Yeah, pretty much gonna need the story behind this.

I somehow missed these questions earlier, so here's the answers:

-Dermestids don't require much upkeep - keep them dry, keep them relatively warm (otherwise they won't eat), clean their container from every few months, and feed them tablescraps when there aren't skulls to clean.
-As for the Borax, I keep putting it in until it doesn't dissolve anymore. I like a good strong mix to pull as much grease out as possible.

Took my first boar this year.  I am using this thread, minus the flesh eating bugs, plus a couple of you tube vids to make a mount.
I bought some volume 40 at Sally Beauty supply to do the whitening.  That was an interesting conversation.  I think she just wanted me out her store.
I should of paid cash.   Oh well.

Removing eyes and tounge was fun.  That is until I had to find somewhere, other than my garbage can, to dispose of eyes and tounge. . 7-11 garbage can on my way to work for the win.  

I boiled in borax and detergent solution for 45 minutes.  Kids asked, "What's for dinner"?   I walked them to pot of pig skull on side yard.  I laughed.  They did not.

Once the boil was done I hit the skull with pressure washer while wearing my chest waders and face mask.  I did that on the driveway.  Now I have a clean spot there and the yard smells funny.

I did manage to pull the cutters and remaining front teeth to do the soak in 40 volume peroxide.

Soak for 3 or 4 days.  Dry, re-mount teeth then seal.

Awesome story - reminds me of the first time I had to talk with my peroxide supplier years ago!

Make sure you post pics in this thread when you are done.

You can mix the Salon Care 40 stuff with baby powder and paint it on the skull itself.

I use a whitening cream and hand apply it after taping off the antlers, once the rest of the skull has been whitened.