This page follows extensive research with various entities, namely, The Natural History Museum, The Booth Museum in Brighton, Rentokill and numerous PhD Entomologists here in the UK. This is our interpretation of those discussions solely and you are free to disagree if you wish. We do not suggest nor recommend implementing any of the suggestions outlined below and we suggest that you seek professional advice from a professional taxidermist before doing so. We cannot and will not accept any responsibility for damage or harm caused. These techniques have worked but we cannot guarantee that they will work in every scenario. Victorian taxidermy is generally delicate and could easily be damaged.

By far the two main areas of issue are Sunlight and Insect attack, the latter is discussed in greater depth.
Historical Perspective

The key to the durability of Victorian taxidermy lies with the preservatives used. In one recipe, laid down by the 18th-century French taxidermist Becoeur, arsenic was mixed with white soap, camphor and salt of tartar and lime to form a preservative known as arsenical soap. This not only preserved skin and prevented the decay of remaining flesh, but was also effective against some insect attack. However, this material was highly dangerous to use and many taxidermists opted for something safer. Charles Waterton swore by corrosive sublimate, while Rowland Ward and Montagu Browne developed their own patent formula. Borax, which is non toxic, is the most widely used preservative today. They are however not as effective for the prevention of insect attack as Arsenic was and is.
Sunlight

I have now lost count how many times people have telephoned me to excitedly tell me that they have either "Albino" otters or albino squirrels, stoats for sale. Need I say more. Keep your specimens out of direct sunlight as they WILL "bleach" the natural pigments from both fur and feather. This in the main is irreversible, and looks wrong when compared with others in your collection. I have an amusing tale of a chap who tried to sell me a once beautiful taxidermy case of Long Eared Owls by TE Gunn. Both birds were almost completely white; one assumes having spent most of their lives facing direct sunlight. Having explained the issue to him, he then went on to state that no, I was incorrect and the birds were in fact in "Winter Plumage". You have been warned.
Insects and Pests

Victorian mounted specimens are composed of skin, hair and feathers, and are often stuffed with organic materials such as sawdust, so they are susceptible to attack by a wide variety of insect pests. Insects progressively degrade a specimen by boring holes and channels and grazing on fur and feather, and the debris they create can contribute to other problems such as mould growth. Few specimens are completely shielded from insect attack. Uncased taxidermy specimens are obviously vulnerable if conditions are favourable, and unless guaranteed airtight even the best taxidermy cases incorporate tiny gaps - between a door and frame, for example - through which small insects can crawl. The importance of regular inspections cannot be overstated.
Inspect specimens

Inspect specimens regularly, especially during the spring and late summer. Get to know the life cycle of the most common pests, and time your inspections accordingly. Look for live insects or larvae, signs of new damage, and 'frass' - a gritty, grey or black powder composed of droppings and debris. Other signs of infestation are hair or feathers, discarded skins, and dead beetles or moths. If your specimen is not in a sealed case, check its legs and feet, and any creases and folds. Insects tend to lay eggs in cracks and crevices, and the larvae shun light and seek similar hiding places. A powerful light will help in your inspection. It is important to remember that it is the insect larvae that cause the damage, not the adults.

A selection of common pests " Anthrenus verbasci, the carpet beetle, is about 2-3 mm long, round, and bears a pattern of black, yellow, brown and white scales. The small, brown, hairy larvae are known as 'woolly bears'. With experience, the larval cases are easily recognised and become very obvious even in groundwork.
" Stegobium paniceum, the biscuit beetle, is about 2 mm long, elongated and brown. " The adult form of Tinea pellionella, the case-bearing clothes moth, is a small grey/brown moth of about 4-6 mm in length. The larvae make distinctive tubular cases that look like small white maggots. Use a genuinely environmentally friendly spray such as 'Constrain' to control insect infestations.

Follow all instructions supplied with the product and do not use excessive amounts of the spray. Pet shops sell sprays for household pets or pet bedding, but these should be used with caution, and not just on the strength of label claims - the expression 'environmentally friendly' is used somewhat freely. Unlike dieldrin and DDT, modern non-persistent sprays do not (or should not) remain active on the specimen over long periods, so any treatment will be effective for a limited time only. Therefore re-inspection and re-application of sprays will be required in order to eliminate pests. Sprays may damage fur and feather and may turn white feathers and white fur yellow. Caution is obviously advised here. For a better more comprehensive view as to the best way to acquire and maintain taxidermy, then please go to

I have been reliably informed that neither "Mothballs or Today's insect sprays" have very little affect on both clothes moths and or carpet / museum beetle. This is due to their morphology and their increased resistance to chemicals. Mothballs do act as a deterrent for the adult moth seeking to lay its eggs somewhere nice. That's about as effective as it gets currently. Some people I am told actually like the smell of moth balls. Personally I am not one of those people.
Vacuuming and boiling do however have great effect, but are a little impractical when considering the subject matter. DDT works wonders but unless you wish to either grow two heads or die prematurely from cancer, I suggest you refrain from its use. One suggestion is to only buy taxidermy from people where you can be assured the their taxidermy collections are kept in the appropriate manner.
Buying at auctions does potentially derive "bargains" however caution is suggested in bringing such items into the main taxidermy collection unless completely satisfied that there is no current infestation. Your bargain may turn into a liability if moths or other insects that like eating taxidermy get unchecked into a new collection of taxidermy that has been costly to acquire.
Woodworm
I have also undertaken some research into Woodworm. Whilst this creature doesn't routinely attack feather and fur it does however like pine cases. Hutchings cases are a particular favourite. There are many commercial products available on the market and most tend to be water based. The problem is that most Victorian cases are lined with paper and then painted upon. Any moisture discolours the paper. Below is a very good example of where a water based spray was used. The entire back of the case now has small stains from this preparation that will not fade with time.

Perhaps a better method you may wish to consider is the use of "ant" powder or "ant" dust. This can be brushed easily into the holes at the back of the case, where it will remain and is far more effective than a spray. You then apply a small amount of beewax over the holes to seal the powder in and it does not stain the inside of the case. I also when painting the back fo cases mix ant powder into the paint before beeswaxing as an added precaution. Remember insecticides are poisonous so you need to keep them out of reach of children and always wash your hands.
Microwave

This does cure the issue of insect / larva infestation, but as you would agree this method does have its limitations. The size of the microwave is just one of them. I would not recommend this method as the supporting wires of birds and mammals may internally combust the subject matter. Bird's nests and material for groundwork can be safely micro waved, but remember it will combust (BURN!), so make sure you have a good fire alarm or a very understanding insurer if you are not attentive. A few minutes may be all that is required. However this is done at entirely your own risk.


Freezing is another option, and for suitable specimens of a manageable size offers a treatment free of the disadvantages of chemical sprays and other remedies. Wrap and seal the taxidermy specimen in a polythene bag then place it in a freezer at -18ºC for seven days. At the end of the treatment period remove the specimen from the freezer and leave it, still fully wrapped, to reach room temperature. Remove the wrapping only when the entire specimen has reached room temperature, which may take 24 hours for the core.
This process will kill the adult version of the insect that you are trying to eradicate but not necessarily entirely their eggs. Bring the mount back to room temperature and you will "fool" the eggs, which are in suspended animation, that it is now "Spring" (hatching time). They will then hatch and proceed to munch away unaware of the pending surprise you have for them. It is at this point that you place the taxidermy mount back into the freezer for a period, which will kill the newly hatched larva. Remember however if you do not then then re-seal the original taxidermy case and monitor the situation, then freezing in the first place would have been a complete waste of time. This method is only really practical for taxidermy mounts that have been removed from cases, as thermal distortion on this scale cracks glass and splits wood. It is not recommended that taxidermy cases are placed in freezers for this reason unless you are willing to replace Victorian float glass. Not all glass cracks and not all cases split. This is just a precautionary observation which you are free to ignore. Domestic chest freezers are normally capable of the required temperature; front-opening models may manage it provided the door is not opened frequently. Commercial freezers operate at about -30ºC.
Reduced Atmosphere or Gaseous Bubble

This is a method which is absolutely guaranteed. However we do NOT endorse its use and recommend that if you are considering undertaking this that you consult professional advice (Rentokill by example). In fact I am so concerned I am not going to explain the method, rather to suggest that it does work for valuable items that you cannot remove from cases and it kills all carbon based life forms permanently. However once eradicated, it is then up the taxidermy collector to ensure that re-infestation of the taxidermy case does not occur by regular inspection and sealing the cases themselves effectively.

As a foot note to the above, Both Dr Church and I are considering implementing the above as a "controlled" experiment. If we live to tell the tale I shall report back. If not then you will have a field day at auction with both our collections. In conclusion, the best way to prevent insect damage is to ensure that the cases are not split or cracked as to allow insects to get in. This might sound a simple task, but these insects are tiny and therefore the inspections required, require that you ensure that every part of the case, beading and glass is examined. This really is the only way to ensure that no gaps larger than 2mm can be found. Remember insect attack is not a solitary pastime. If you find one example in your collection there are likely to be more around. Vigilance is the only key to any success and always try to establish the conditions where your new case was kept before you bring it into your collection.
A chemical that has been used widely and has since been banned under European Insecticide Regulations

Dichlorvos is an organophosphate compound (Vapona / Sheep Dip being some common names) used to control household, public health, and stored product insects. It is effective against mushroom flies, aphids, spider mites, caterpillars, thrips, and white flies in greenhouse, outdoor fruit, and vegetable crops. Dichlorvos is used to treat a variety of parasitic worm infections in dogs, livestock, and humans. Dichlorvos can be fed to livestock to control botfly larvae in the manure. It acts against insects as both a contact and a stomach poison. It has been used to make pet collars and pest strips. It is available as an aerosol and soluble concentrate to be used in the home and by taxidermists.

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