Oddity Decor Store Fort Lupton, Colorado

Dermestid beetle cleaning

Skull cleaning & European mounts

Beetle-cleaned skulls for deer, elk, bear, pronghorn, coyote and smaller. Three tiers, priced by animal, starting at $40. Animal not listed? Ask for a quote.

Get a quote Build an estimate
Dermestid beetles at work on snake skeletons in a mesh tray inside the beetle colony.
The colonyDermestid beetles at work

Price list

Prices

Priced by animal and by tier. The three tiers are explained below the table.

Dermestid beetle cleaned skulls
Animal Just Beetles Beetles + Degrease Beetles + Degrease + Whitening
Deer $60 $125 $150
Elk $100 $200 $275
Bear $50 $125 $150
Pronghorn $60 $125 $150
Coyote & smaller $40 $60 $75
Just Beetles includes beetle cleaning only. Degreasing and whitening are included only when listed in the selected service tier.
  • Gag feeCovers the additional handling required when a specimen has a strong odor, maggots, or active decomposition.$20
  • Pet memorialPrice varies

Animal not listed? Ask for a quote.

All wild game must be legally harvested and show proof of tag. Acceptance of any specimen or project is at our discretion.

Service tiers

The three tiers, plainly

Each tier includes everything in the one before it. Pick the one you want when you ask for a quote, or say you're not sure and we'll talk it through.

Just Beetles

from$40

Beetle cleaning only. The colony cleans the skull and this tier stops there: no degreasing, no whitening.

Deer $60, elk $100, bear $50, pronghorn $60, coyote & smaller $40.

Beetles + Degrease

from$60

Adds degreasing: soaking to draw the natural grease out of the bone after the beetles have finished.

Deer $125, elk $200, bear $125, pronghorn $125, coyote & smaller $60.

Beetles + Degrease + Whitening

from$75

Adds whitening. Whitening brightens natural bone but does not guarantee a perfectly uniform or permanent pure-white result.

Deer $150, elk $275, bear $150, pronghorn $150, coyote & smaller $75.

Process

How it works

Four steps, from your first message to pickup.

  1. Contact us first

    Please contact us before bringing in or shipping remains. Keep the specimen frozen and securely double-bagged until intake. We will provide any additional preparation or shipping instructions based on the individual specimen.

  2. Intake

    We note the condition, antlers or horns, velvet, the lower jaw, and your tag or license number for wild game.

  3. The colony

    The beetles do the cleaning. Degreasing and whitening follow if your tier includes them.

  4. Ready

    We let you know when it's done. The balance is due before release or shipment. Local pickup can be arranged by appointment only and at our discretion, within thirty days of our note, or we can ship, charged at the actual cost with the carrier selected based on the item.

Completion estimates may vary based on specimen condition, size, degreasing needs, beetle colony activity, workload, repairs, or other unforeseen conditions.

The colony

Meet our beetle colony

We have cared for several dermestid beetle colonies over the last few years, adapting as our business has grown and relocated.

Our current colony was established in April 2026 and lives in two chest freezers that we retrofitted into climate-controlled enclosures, keeping the beetles healthy through Colorado's changing seasons. We are actively building a larger enclosure to accommodate bigger pieces.

Dermestid beetles are nature's tiny cleanup crew. They feed on the remaining dried tissue, cleaning even small, hard-to-reach areas while preserving the delicate details of the bones.

Each piece is carefully prepared by hand before being placed with the colony. Once the beetles have completed their work, the bones move through the remaining cleaning and preparation process before becoming a European mount, articulated skeleton, or one-of-a-kind memorial.

Caring for a dermestid colony takes consistent attention to temperature, humidity, ventilation, and food. They may be tiny, but they play an incredibly important role in our work. Their natural process allows us to prepare each animal with patience and care, preserving the details that help make every finished piece unique.

From the colony and the bench

The beetles at work

Cleaned skulls, European mounts, wire mounts and the colony doing its job. Some of these are mid-process: bone comes in with tissue on it, and the beetles are here to take it off. Select any image to see it larger.

A finished European mount: a whitened deer skull with tall antlers, photographed against a dark backdrop.
A deer skull and antlers standing in an open chest freezer, kept frozen before intake.
Looking down into the beetle tank: a skull and an antler in the substrate under the heat lamp.
A small skull in the colony, dermestid beetles at work among the wood shavings.
Inside the beetle tank: an antler tine and a skull half-buried in the substrate, beetles gathered along the bone.
Cleaned bones sorted into three clear tubs, labeled Spine and Ribs, Legs and Pelvis, and Head, Feet and Tail.
Inside the colony: an animal partly cleaned, hide and fur still on, lying in the wood shavings.
A small animal's cleaned skeleton laid out bone by bone on a wooden table, the skull at the left.
A finished European mount: a cleaned, whitened deer skull with its antlers, resting at an angle on a deep plum backdrop.

Terms

Estimate terms

These are the terms printed on every beetle-cleaning estimate.

  1. This estimate is based on the specimen condition and requested work documented at intake. Additional preparation, repair, treatment, materials, or shipping will be charged only after Customer approval.
  2. A deposit may be required before work begins. The remaining balance is due in full before release or shipment.
  3. Beetle cleaning alone does not include degreasing or whitening. Whitening brightens natural bone but does not guarantee a perfectly uniform or permanent pure-white result.
  4. Biological remains may contain hidden deterioration or damage. Teeth, small structures, horn sheaths, and damaged pieces can loosen or separate despite reasonable care.
  5. Velvet is especially fragile and may slip, shrink, discolor, retain odor, or lose hair. Preservation requires separate written approval and cannot be guaranteed.
  6. Customer must retrieve completed work within thirty (30) days of completion notice unless otherwise agreed. Work unpaid or unclaimed for one (1) year may be treated as abandoned under the signed service agreement.
  7. All wild game must be legally harvested, and proof of tag/license may be required.

Build an estimate

Get a quote

Tell us about the animal and the tier you want. A photo or two helps. Required fields are marked with an asterisk.

Specimen notes (check any that apply)

Proof of tag or license may be required for wild game.