I think I read somewhere that dermestid beetles will eat bird feathers. Does this mean that if I give a dead bird to my dermestid beetles I don't have to pluck it?
Thanks, Alex
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I've never had them eat feathers or hair. They eat at the BASES of them to get through the skin at the material underneath and cause feathers and hair to fall out however. Furthermore -they don't really like skin either. Take some chicken wing tips and toss them in a tank of bugs and you'll notice that they bore a few access holes through the skin - but then leave the skin intact and work underneath it sort of like weevils underneath bark.