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What equipment do you need to dissect pellets
Dissecting owl pellets at an RSPB Wildlife Explorers event
You will need:
- Fine tweezers or forceps, cocktail sticks, straightened
wire paper clips etc.
- Small pot (e.g. margarine tub) for soaking pellets and cleaning
the items removed from them.
- A few drops of antiseptic or disinfectant (preferably one that
doesnt go cloudy when water is added, e.g. Savlon).
- Newspaper for blotting excess moisture from pellets and their
contents.
- A hand lens or other suitable magnifier (preferably x8 or x10).
Best of all would be a dissecting microscope.
- A shallow dish or a tray to dissect the pellet on.
- Card and glue for mounting your finds.
- Gloves to wear when handling and dissecting pellets. Surgical
gloves (available from chemists) or thin rubber gloves are
ideal.