LICENSED TAXIDERMY SERVICE

ECK Farms offers a licensed taxidermy service. This service specializes only in quality skull cleaning and European mounts, using the time-tested methods of Dermestid beetles. ECK Farms would love to contribute to your hunting and fishing trip by cleaning and preparing your skull for display.

Dermestid beetles are a specialized species of beetle that eats only animal flesh and meat. Dermestid beetles are the preferred method of preparing skulls, used by many museums, criminal investigators and universities around the world. Preparing skulls with Dermestid beetles has many benefits over other methods of skull cleaning. These include no damage to fine bones, no damage to suture lines of the skull, no shrinkage of the skull, and won't yellow over time like other methods (when done correctly). 

Please continue reading for more information on this service, price list is below. If you still have any questions, please reach out to us at 660-641-2425. We would love to answer any questions you may have about this service. 

Please read this page for lots of information! An important fact is Dermestid beetles don't like to eat Rotten Meat and it could harm/kill our colony. 

Please protect the skull/animal/fish from any other insects/animals and get into us within 24 hours of kill. IF unable to do this, simply place in your freezer until you are able to get it to us. This doesnt damage the skull/animal/fish but keeps it from rotting so we are able to take and process your skull/animal/fish. If you know the skull is already rotten, please see the section below labeled before dropping off the skull/animal/fish.

ECK Farms is licensed with the Missouri Department of Conservation and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to provide taxidermy with bugs. We follow all laws and regulations regarding storage of wildlife, documentation and other restrictions per the Missouri Wildlife code and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. 

If required by law all skulls/animal/fish must be taken in a lawful-legal manner and the customer must be able to provide conservation numbers, tag numbers, confirmation numbers, or any other information that is required before we are able to take in the skull/animal/fish. Domestic animals do not have the same requirements, but we still gather information/paperwork on every skull/animal/fish we have in our possession. We also take the time to properly tag/label every skull/animal/fish before the owner/person bringing in leaves. This assures you are getting the correct skull/animal/fish back when you pick it up! 

If you have any questions about this, please reach out to us at 660-641-2425. 

We have completed a large variety of different skull types and are able to accommodate about any skull you would like to have beetle cleaned. We were trained by a top skull cleaner in the United States on how to properly clean skulls/skeletons utilizing dermestid beetles as well as procedures/chemicals in degreasing and whitening that won't damage/erode away any bone, 

Below is our 2024 price list on a wide variety of different skull types (prices good thru December 2024). ALL prices include freezer storage until beetles are ready for the skull, prep work before the beetles, beetle cleaning, degreasing, whitening, bone sealer and tooth polish (if applicable/recommended). No plaques/shadowboxes included unless stated on sheet. 

We have completed/trained on numerous additional skulls than what is listed, please reach out to us to get a price if you don't see the type of skull/animal/fish you would like completed. 

At ECK Farms we complete the skulls as they come into us. IF the beetle box is full (it normally is) your skull/animal/fish is placed in our freezers and put on a list to be completed. We take the skulls in order of how they come into us and don't skip around under any circumstance. 

We ONLY place your skull/animal/fish on the list once we have it in our freezers and have received the required 50% due at drop off down. 

Once you have done all the legally required processes to tag your hunt (if required by MDC/US Fish and Wildlife), please call us, 660-641-2425 or stop by our store at 1412 S Maguire St. Warrensburg. If you have any questions about license requirements and tagging, please reach out to the Missouri Department of Conservation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, or give us a call, 660-641-2425. 

Once ready to bring in your skull/animal, please call us or just stop on by our store to get your skull/animal/fish in for cleaning. If it's going to be longer than 24 hours after kill when your able to get the skull/animal/fish into us, PLEASE place your specimen in the freezer. THE BEETLES WILL NOT EAT ROTTEN MEAT AND WE WILL HAVE TO SEND IT BACK IF ITS ROTTEN. We will be placing your skull/animal/fish in our freezers for at least 72 hours to kill all harmful organisms on the species. This doesn't harm the specimen but keeps your trophy from decaying and avoids attacks from other insects. such as flies or ham beetles. 

ECK Farms reserves the right to refuse this service to any skull/animal/skull, for any reason! 

All rotten skulls/animal/fish will be sent home at check in (if we can tell its rotten then.) 

When we thaw the specimen before going into beetles (we will know for sure if its rotten then), the skull/animal/fish will be sent back (without being completed) and you charged a $50 freezer storage fee for utilizing our freezer space for your rotten skull/animal/fish. 

We have had to implement this policy as we received a few rotten skulls, which could harm/kill our beetles/larvae and were frozen when we received the skull which hid the fact it was rotten. FYI we will know its rotten once we thaw it out to start our prep work before the beetles!

At check-in with ECK Farms, your trophy will be tagged and placed with specific identification tags to assure accountability on our part. All required tagging and registering will need to be with your trophy at check-in. We will NOT take any skulls which don't have required tags/confirmation numbers accompanying your skull/animal/fish (if required)

We will also be checking your identification card to make sure names and information match when dropping off AND picking up your hunt. ECK Farms will not be able to take or allow you to pick up your trophy skull if you forget your ID card (no matter the situation or reason). At ECK Farms we take this process seriously and have implemented this policy to protect our customers. 

A non-refundable downpayment of 50% will be required during the check-in process. A general time frame estimate will be given at this time but subject to change based on a number of different variabilities (we are dealing with insects). As always, if you have any questions or to receive an updated status, please give ECK Farms a call at 660-641-2425. 

After your trophy skull is ready to be picked up, we will call/text you with the phone number (s) left during drop off. If for some reason we are unable to reach you, we will then send a letter to you in the mail, to the address left during the check-in process. After you have been notified you have 30 days to pick up, unless prior arrangements are made We understand things happen but we must receive communication from you, either in writing or by phone call. We are normally here 7 days a week, 12-hour days, so reaching us one way or another should be simple to complete! 

The remaining balance of 50% will be required at pickup. You will need your ID and it MUST match the name on the tags. This includes MDC tags and ECK Farms in house tagging system. NO EXCEPTIONS to this policy! We are simply implementing this rule to eliminate handing out the skull to the non-rightful owner. 

At ECK Farms our Dermestid beetles remove flesh from the deepest recesses of the skull, without the use of tools. Tools can leave marks and damage delicate structures, such as nasal bones. Many skull cleaning services (such as boiling) actually completely destroy and remove these delicate nasal bones. We believe that these delicate structures are what make a skull unique. 

Your skull will have absolutely no unpleasant smell, because all traces of meat are removed, and no emulsified fats are impregnated into the bone (which happens during boiling). Cleaning with beetles means bone structures and suture lines are not unnaturally weakened and teeth are not cracked. Boiling also has been shown to shrink skulls! 

At ECK Farms our skulls are always degreased (to assure your trophy lasts long-term without yellowing) for as long of period of time as possible (each skull is different, and we monitor for signs it needs to be taken out of degreasing). Degreasing removes fats from the bone, so yellowing doesn't occur as time passes by. Depending on the skull type we have various different ways we degreaser safely. 

We also do a specific whitening that prevents erosion or damage of the bone, it might take longer than other "quick" methods but has been shown to not erode bone structure, short-term AND long term. 

If you want a high-quality trophy with no hassle, consider ECK Farms for all your skull cleaning needs.