Yesterday my brother's friend found a dead squirrel in his yard, and he called me over so I could get it. The squirrel looked like it was in good shape, and I took it home and froze it, and skinned it the next day.
But after skinning I realised that under its front legs there were lots and lots of fly eggs. I tried to scrape them off with a toothpick, and that didn't really work. so I attempted to pick them out with tweezers, but that only pulled a bunch of hair out with them.
I wondered if there was an easier way to get them off? Would the eggs still hatch, even after being frozen? I don't want my otherwise pretty gray squirrel to be eaten by maggots!
Thanks for any help I can get!
Return to Lifesize Mammal Taxidermy Category Menu
Ellie,you could put the skin in a pickle solution for a couple of hours,that should take care of any maggots.
You said you tried to pull the eggs off but a lot of hair came out with it . If the hair is falling out then the squirrel is already starting to decay and might not be any good . Try looking for a better squirrel . Now to answer your question , if you frozen it , then the eggs are dead . Rick
Thanks for your help. Although, the hair only came out around the maggot eggs. Everywhere else on the squirrel is fine. I have it salted now, but I'll pickle it this afternoon.
I didn't want to waste this squirrel- it's 9 inches long, nose to tail base. The gray squirrels where I live seem to average about 7 inches!