# Hair Coming Off



## Forest Meister (Mar 7, 2010)

I have a whitetail mount that is just over 30 years old. For the past six years it has been in an unused bedroom with the door closed 99% of the time. When I went in there yesterday I noticed a tuft of hair on the floor. It appeared the hair came from the area between the antlers and the ear and when I looked close there appears to be some sort of larvae there. 

Any ideas what can safely applied to this head PDQ before any more damage is done? FM


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

I'd ask a taxiademist. Sp.
D.E. ( diamatacious earth sp.)from farmstore, human and livestock edible type and follow precautions if I had to wing it alone. Would dust all mounts well.
http://bowsite.com/bowsite/features/articles/bugs/


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## RV13 (Nov 2, 2012)

it sounds you have moths in your mount, they will lay eggs and the larvae will eat the base of the hair follicle causing the hair to fall out. Here is how I handle moth infestations. first thing to do if it will fit is get the mount into a chest freezer or walk in freezer and let it sit in there for a week. If you cant get it into a freezer I have also covered a mount in a big trash bag and sprayed flying insect killer into the bag to fumigate the mount. Be careful not to breathe any in if you take this route. Let it sit for while before touching it or putting it back in the house. I prefer the freezer method. After this I take a shop vac and run it in reverse to blow out any dead larvae or eggs. The eggs are tiny and look like sawdust. make sure you do it outside. I then use a cleaner called Protex. It is made by knoblochs and is available at taxidermy supply websites like Mckenzie. It has a strong cedar smell to it so use it outside also. Spray it on the mounts and wipe it into the hair. spray it in the areas where you notice the larva or eggs.

If you have moths in one mount i would check any others. Mounts that old could possibly be dry preserved and not tanned. When we see moths in new mounts it is usually because the skull plates were not cleaned properly. Other things that can attract moths are freeze dried objects, fly tying materials and even in bird seed as i found out this summer in my own house. I often bug bomb my show room if i see even one. Too much into mounts these days to see them destroyed by moths. 

Good luck and feel free to ask questions if you have any.


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## Forest Meister (Mar 7, 2010)

no other mounts with hair but several birds. Are they in jeopardy too?


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Waif said:


> I'd ask a taxiademist. Sp.
> D.E. ( diamatacious earth sp.)from farmstore, human and livestock edible type and follow precautions if I had to wing it alone. Would dust all mounts well.
> http://bowsite.com/bowsite/features/articles/bugs/


Available at Tractor Supply in the Soo.


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## RV13 (Nov 2, 2012)

yes. Birds can be bad too. They are rarely tanned and if the have a lot of fat left in them the bugs will go crazy.


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