I moved into my new home a year ago and set up all my mounts in my home office.

Several years ago I shot a turkey and took and had its wing preserved and it has stayed in the last two homes I've lived in with no issues. fast forward to a few months ago, we started seeing moths in my office. My wife did some cleaning and moved the turkey wing from its spot on the bookshelf and discovered that half the feathers had fallen off and that moth larvae was eating the wing. Immediately the wing went into the garbage outside.....that pretty much took care of the moth issue but I killed one the other day and I just killed one in my office.

I did some research that state the adult moths do not do any damage its the larvae and that turkeys are the no.1 cause of moth infestation.

my question is:


Why did it take so long (approx. 3 years) to decide to show up on the turkey wing and is there a threat to my shoulder mounts/how should I do preventive treatment?

would a bug bomb work in my office?

I don't want to risk any damage to my shoulder mounts or duck mounts

I bet the larva eggs were there the whole time but the hatching conditions didn't come forth until the new office came into play... like heat, moisture, sunlight, time in the dark, air filtration.. who knows but im sure like other bugs their eggs can last a long time before hatching and know when to do it

just checked my turkey beads on another shelf....two of the 3 had larvae attached

This sucks!! I can't help you but I would like to know the final outcome in this...

Same thing happened to me, but on my bobcat mount. I have had it in the same room with all my other mounts for years and never had a problem. We moved into a new house and all of a sudden started seeing moths. I checked the mount and it had the cocoons all over it. The hair under the chin, around the years, and on the chest and belly is all falling out now. I brought it outside and dusted it off with the air compressor, vacuumed it, and sprayed it with some professional strength insecticide that leaves a 90 day residual. I brought it back inside and about a month later started seeing moths again. The moths didn't spread to any of my other mounts. They have done so much damage to my bobcat that it is pretty much trashed now. It happened quick! Sad thing is that was my prized mount and I brought it to one of the better/more expensive places in houston to have it done.

Sorry about this. This cures me of ever wanting a turkey mount and I'll be sure and continue to keep my beards out of that room. Thanks, at least, for passing on that info.

I had an impala mount start looking ratty on the back of the head, where you couldn't easily notice it. I sprayed some of that clothing repellant that's got permethrin in it (the stuff you treat your clothes with before using), but eventually took it back to Woodbury's and they treated it. Could never confirm it was moths; they assured me it wasn't. I'd had different (bigger) horns that I'd shot put on it and I think they just didn't do a decent job. I try to dust all the mounts off twice a year and I'm always paranoid I'm gonna find something like this.

There used to be a couple of businesses that would clean and treat your trophies, but I don't think they had enough business to stay in business.

Same exact thing happened to me. Had a turkey fan sitting up high, close to mounts. After probably 5 years it started falling apart. Threw it away and started vacuuming all deer heads. Noticed a couple of bare spots on a couple of them. Bombed the chit out of the cabin. No problems since.

Regular, off the shelf bug bomb or something special?

Off shelf, Creek. Spectracide, if I remember correctly. I buy them often for blinds. Usually just buy the cheapest. Find all kinds of dead bugs in the house afterwords.