<div dir="auto"><div><div>Hi Katrina,</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Another option would be looking into renting a walk-in freezer and freezing many things at the same time in there. If others at your institution have the need, you could all get together and reduce the cost.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Best,</div><div dir="auto">Mariana</div><div><br></div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature">Mariana Di Giacomo, PhD<br>Natural History Conservator, Yale Peabody Museum<br>Associate Editor, Collection Forum, SPNHC </div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, Aug 4, 2025, 09:33 Mullon, Madeleine <<a href="mailto:madeleine_mullon@fas.harvard.edu">madeleine_mullon@fas.harvard.edu</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Hi Katrina,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">If you are planning to degrease these skulls after the beetles are through with them, putting them straight into the degreasing solution (at the MCZ, we use an ammonia solution, but a surfactant degreaser
such as dish soap should also work) will also kill any straggler bugs. That said, this is obviously not a solution if the skulls are so large that you are not planning to put them through a degrease/whitening soak, in which case I’d go with what others have
suggested.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Best,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Madeleine Mullon (she/they)<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Curatorial Assistant, Mammalogy<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Museum of Comparative Zoology<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Harvard University<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">617-495-2469<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black"><img width="150" height="44" style="width:1.5625in;height:.4583in" id="m_1420621614253790731_x0000_i1025" src="https://huctw.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/huctw_email_sig_2012_white.jpg?download=1"></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Nhcoll-l <<a href="mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu</a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Derieg, Katrina<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, August 1, 2025 12:08 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Nhcoll-l] Killing dermestids from large cervid skulls<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Hi folks,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">I'm looking for some advice on how to proceed with some large cervid skulls I've got in my bug colony. One is a bull elk with a full rack, the other is a mule deer buck, also with a full rack. I don't have a walk-in
freezer and none of my freezers are large enough for these skulls with their racks. The skulls are clean and I need to move them out of the bug colony, but I'm not sure the best way to get rid of any stray bugs.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Options I've considered:<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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Bagging them up with some dry ice (will sublimate fast though, a little pricy)<u></u><u></u></li></ul>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black">
Bagging them up with isoflurane-soaked cotton (maybe not a good use of veterinary-grade drugs)<u></u><u></u></li></ul>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">But I am open to suggestions if anyone has dealt with something similar.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Many thanks in advance!<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">-Katrina<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="m_1420621614253790731elementtoproof"><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#6f263d">KATRINA DERIEG
</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#6f263d">(she/her)</span></i></b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_1420621614253790731elementtoproof"><b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#6f263d;letter-spacing:-.1pt">Curator | Museum Collections and Outreach Coordinator</span></i></b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_1420621614253790731elementtoproof"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#6f263d">Phillip L. Wright Zoological Museum (UMZM)</span></b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_1420621614253790731elementtoproof"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#6f263d">Health Science 104 | 32 Campus Drive | 406-243-4743</span></b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_1420621614253790731elementtoproof"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#6f263d"><a href="mailto:katrina.derieg@umontana.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">katrina.derieg@umontana.edu</a> |
<a href="mailto:umzm@mso.umt.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">umzm@mso.umt.edu</a></span></b><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="m_1420621614253790731elementtoproof"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#6f263d;letter-spacing:1.55pt">University of Montana</span></i><u></u><u></u></p>
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