I have done some skull cleaning in the past I was wondering about getting some beatle to do the job.
1. Were could I get some from?
2. What dose it take to keep them?
3. Do they live long?
4. Cost involved?
5. Pros and Cons?
Any help would be great thatnks.
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I think there has been many questions on this. go to search and Type in beetles. I, myself have collected up to a hundred or more off dead critters and brought them home and put in a fish tank with skulls and put a tight fitting mesh lid on them. After they were done cleaning skulls I just kill them off and get more when I have enough skulls again. If you get a field guide to Insects from library, you can look up Dermestid Beetles, and Carrion Beetles and get a good look at them to know what you are looking for.
Dermested beetles are the best. I work at the Osteo-preparation lab at Smithsonian and that is what we use. These beetles are much hardier than native carrion beetles but are hard to find. I have seen them for sale in the Carolina Biological Supply catolog. These beetles, if escape however, are the ultimate pest; they eat clothes, wood, food products, and even carpet.