cleaning skulls

[skullcandy]

recommended do not use bleach!! Use hydrogen peroxide a fairly high percent and leave skull to soak. Some people soak it for 24 hours. Maybe simmer it first to loosen up any unwanted bugs or dirt on it, then soak it in hydrogen peroxide.
I decorate animal skulls with glass seed beads and I was thinking of using mealworms, but I don't know how fast they can go through a large skinned skull-with minimal stench!
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[Ozarkhomesteader]

cool!! i really like the first picture in your gallery of the deer skull w/ antlers...very neat!! Did you find the skulls or buy them? When ever i find skulls and skeletons i keep them and display them...it really fun, though my parents and visitors are a bit creeped out at my collection lol.

oh, and

 

[thehackleguy]

I love the look of a properly cleaned skull!

 

[skullcandy]

The deer skull was my first big piece. I really enjoy decorating them. I will be displaying my art this year again in the aboriginal art show. Cleaning process isn't the greatest tho! lol I have found or been given all of my skulls. I got the boar and buck skull from a gentleman at the gun show.
Anyone have any cleaning suggestions? Mealworms?

 

[HarleyHyena]

I had a fox skull I wanted to clean... I left it outside so it would maybe decompose a little more before I tried to clean it up, and now it's gone. I'm completely new to cleaning skulls/bones. But it is a hobby I would love to get into .

 

[enola]

Black soldier fly larva would probably do a pretty quick clean up for you. I don't think they eat the hair, but they will consume the skin, muscle, fat, etc.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

When we prepared bones for museum skeletons we used dermestid beetles. They are a type of carnivorous darkling beetle and do quick work cleaning most of the material off the bones.

 

[skullcandy]

ugh I don't understand this website!
Anyways... I don't like the thought of maggots at all! Ew!
Dermested beetles need a certain temperature.
Do you think mealworms would work?

 

[skullcandy]

how long would the dermested beetles take to clean bones?

 

[enola]

I find this hilarious! You are squeemish about maggots, but you are on here trying to find out how to remove 'flesh' from a skull ......

Black soldier fly larva look more like a grub or caterpillar than a maggot. They make excellent alternate food source for chickens.