Minibeasts_Concept_3

Subject Facts

Minibeasts are found in a wide range of different habitats, and are adapted to their particular living conditions and food supplies. Awareness of this must be at the forefront of any decision to observe minibeasts in more detail by taking them out of their natural habitat for a short while. Sometimes, due to weather conditions, pupil safety or organisational factors, observations cannot be carried out on site, and capture of the minibeasts may be necessary If this is decided to be the most appropriate option, the correct tools must be used and the children must be given guidance and training on how to use them safely and hygienically.

The children first need to know where to look. The main factors to consider are where the minibeasts will find food and shelter. Food requirements of minibeasts are quite diverse, but it is best to stick to vegetation (poking about in dead animal carcasses is not recommended). Vegetation could be alive (eaves, flowers) or dead (leaf litter; decaying logs) — each will provide a different range of animals. The same is true of different places where vegetation can be found: the range of animals found will depend on the moisture content of the place where the vegetation is found (particularly if it is underwater). Typical minibeasts for particular habitats are:

Dead vegetation (logs, compost heaps) — woodlice, worms.

Leaves — aphids, ladybirds, beetles, spiders.

Under bushes — beetles, ants.

On pond water — pond skaters.

In pond water — water boatmen, caddis fly larvae, diving beetles, water fleas,

Safe collection

Always collect from somewhere unpolluted that is safe to get to and easy to oversee: take enough adult helpers to supervise all the children (mobile phones will be useful). Survey the site first, so that you know roughly where to go and what to expect; it's best to ‘acclimatise' the other adults to the minibeasts as well, so that the more squeamish ones don't give off the wrong messages to the children. If you are going near water, check that it is safe to do so: avoid overhanging banks, swift moving or deep water or water where the edge is not clearly defined Always ensure that the children don't put their fingers in their mouths while collecting, and that they wash their hands immediately after contact with any living thing,

Most collection devices can be made almost as easily as they can be purchased to hunt minibeasts in bushes and low trees, little more is needed than a white sheet. Place it under the bush and shake the bush: lots of little black things appear on the sheet. The ones that start to move after 1 5 seconds or so are the minibeasts. To collect individual specimens (from a sheet or other places), use a white plastic teaspoon for the bigger creatures or a;

a pooter (named after the sound it makes) for the smaller ones, and place them in a white margarine tub.

Figure 4 shows a typical home-made 'pooter'. A word of warning: look before you poot! By sucking on one tube, you can suck a small minibeast up the other tube into a specimen jar. It is best to use a syringe for sucking to avoid mishaps; but if you are using your mouth be very careful not to confuse the two tubes! The tube that you suck on, which must have a piece of gauze or a grille over the end in the jar, should always be sterilized prior to use, and children should be discouraged from sharing pooters. The other tube will have been poked in some very unpleasant places in the search for minibeasts! If you mix up the two tubes, the minibeast will become stuck behind the gauze inside the wrong tube and any other minibeasts already in the jar will end up in the back of your throat,

Pond dipping can be great fun, but you need the proper equipment. Avoid aquarium nets: they are so short that if you are near enough to the water to use one, you are probably in the water. The larger nets present two problems for children. Firstly, they are heavy, particularly when being lifted out of the water — it might be all that a child needs to topple in. Secondly, to observe the 'catch' you have to put your hand underneath and lift the net — resulting in a cascade of water down your sleeve. What I would recommend is a plastic flour sieve, with the 'ears' cut off, attached to the end of a short cane (I—I .25m). Always collect a bucket of water for the observation trays before the dipping starts: it will be your last chance to obtain any clear water until the sediment settles!

There are various optical instruments that can double as collection jars of various sizes; some include a mirror that allows the underside of the animal to be viewed from above, Hand lenses are very useful, but are easily lost — I would recommend the plastic type of lens with a hole in the handle for a piece of string to which the child can be attached.

With younger children, you may want to place their hands in sandwich bags to make sure that they do not touch minibeasts (or mud) directly.

Whatever you do with the minibeasts, avoid or minimise direct contact and return them to the place that they came from as quickly as possible once observation is complete. The RSPCA Code of Practice for working with minibeasts should be adhered to. Following these guidelines, I would not recommend catching any particular native species and keeping it in captivity. Captive minibeasts can be obtained from pet shops or butterfly farms.