what can i use as insecticide for mounting mammals? i know that in the past some taxidermists used a poison called arsenic.
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If You mount it right You wont need insecticides because there is nothing for them to eat. Borax is what is used in dry preservatives,just make sure You get rid of all the meat and fat when fleshing
Cause it ain't true. ALL mounts are susceptible to insect damage. Show me a bird mount outside of a case over 10 years old and I'll show you carpet mite damage to the feathers.
IN AMERICA, there is not effective PERMANENT insect proofer that you can use.
The question was MAMMALS not Birds
Since the banishment of aresenic soap and Endolan U, there is still no permanent protection of mounts from dermistid damage.
If You have bugs in Your mounts,then You need to be asking for advice,not giving it! Im not going to get into a pissing match with You,and drag this site down as You like doing.
I do freeze drying & conventional mounts, all mounts are subject to damage. I like the product sevin, kills over 100 diferent insects and pest. (the person asking the question is only looking for an answer not an argument) Don
I just keep fools like you from giving out erroneous information. Obviously you've been in business all week and know all the answers, but this one damned sure ain't the right one. Personally, my mounts don't have insects that I know of because I treat them periodically with a TOPICAL, TEMPORARY insect repellant, but no matter how you want to martyr yourself, THERE IS NO PERMANENT INSECT REPELLANT ON THE MARKET IN THE USA TODAY. Get over it.
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time and again I see people at seminars who do not treat the last joint of waterfowl and other bird wings...give them a few years, and they will be eaten up. I know, because in the beginning I did not treat wing tips. Now all of my original waterfowl...30+ yrs old, are ruined. When I could afford it, I bought a bottle of wing/feet injecting fluid from Mr Sam Touchstone. I can tell to the day when I began using it. I suspect if I had the mounts in my posession, I could tell to the day when I ran out and began using alcohol/water for injecting, because once the alcohol was totally volatilized, the bugs move in. If I had Edolan-U in my posession, I would use it!
George is 1000% right on. One of the main reasons taxidermy is not considered a fine art no matter how well its mounted or how many ribbons or medals it wins is because its so perishable; also because people like "RQ" call themselves pros the "art" form of taxidermy will stay in the basement of all crafts and arts. Show me any mount even the ones in a well maintained glass encased museum setting anywhere in the world that is over 100 years old and I will show you a mount that needs redone because of age from fading color, cracks, etc and/or bugs.
I always use Sevin around hooves, etc; like Don says. It will help.
Your both right, nothing is really fool froof You do the best You can with what You have and strive for better however proper fleshing and tanning is the first and most important step to bug proofing
Tanning is no way a deterrant to bugs, only thing that work's (for me) is a can of Raid!
George is right , There is no Bug Proofer that last forever. I use protex per soak on all of my hides,It is a soak and last for a few years . There is a protex mount care that u can spray on it that help treat the hide and cleans it . And there is mount sheild that does a good job. I like the protex soak and spray the best.
I can show you a great number of birds that have held up without, fading color, cracks, etc. and/or bugs. Bird pigment, if held in lower light in a museum setting, do not fade like mammal pigments - has to do with the chemiocal make-up of the pigment. If the birds are well done with arsenic, which I believe leaches out from inside the bird to also fix the feathers, they do not get eaten. At the bill line, and the feet can be eaten even if treated with arsenic, if it has not been injected. Mammals don't hold up real good, but we have some truely excellent animals prepared at the museum approaching 95 years old that show no damage and only slight fading - and so well done that I'm not sure very many taxidermists in the country could do as well today.
Without arsenic, mitan ff, edolan, DDT, strycnine, Mecuric chloride or a number of other bugproofers used in the past, current taxidermy specimens are certainly able to be consumed. Borax itself is not really a bug proofer. Take a piece of fresh meat as thick as a slice of bacon, soak it in a borax solution like Leon Pray recommended, let it dry and feed it to bugs. They love the stuff. The way powdered borax works is to get into the crevices of the larvae and adults, and cause damage to the junction of the various hard parts, and also cause dehydration.
I to have seen many museum "old" bird mounts that are still looking pretty nice, even a few mounts, but not many. I know the better museums use arsenic around the glass frames, temp. control, etc. but still my POINT is that taxidermy does not have a great or even good long term shelf life and that is why it is not considered fine art, 100 years is really old for the best taxidermy poisoned properly and well taken cared of in museums. Many mounts being done today , I would say most commercial work hanging in private homes and even some museums will be in bad shape 100 years from now. Compare that other art and crafts, even bad sculpture or oil paintings. Taking care of mounts done 100 years ago can be a full time job for a "taxidermologist" Oil painting and sculpture done even a 1000 years ago for the most part just need basic care and dusting. Many taxidermists do do excellent work the best they know how every step of the way, I make an effort to one of them. Many taxidermists also do not care, and most taxidermy clients do not take great care of thier mounts and when they die these mounts get sold for the most part for pennies on the dollar.