Need To Start Beetling...

maceration is the best bet. i am confident the skulls will be o k.

 

I agree, maceration would work best. But that’s also going to have a smell. Might be too much for a condo in the city in my opinion. An other option would be to clean in a flower pot if the skulls are small enough. Layer of dirt on bottom of pot, surround skull with saw dust or shavings, then bury with soil. Add some red worms and keep it moist. Can even have flowers, lol. It will take a lot longer than maceration, but will have zero smell. There will be some odor when you eventually unbury it but more like a wet dog rather than rancid maceration water. You will have more corpse wax to clean off before you degrease but it works.

 

I haven't done one that small so not sure exactly how long, but I would give it a couple months just to be sure its done. Get most of the meat off first. Buddy of mine did a sheep skull and it was pretty much done in 4 months. Of course that's here in Texas where its a little warmer. I don't think you can over do it though, so if odor is your concern, I would definitely give it plenty of time. Of course you are still going to have cleaning to do after you get it out.

 

And you need to be prepared to sift the dirt when you think it is done so you can recover the teeth that will fall out when the soft tissue is gone.

 

Beetles are not an option for you. ARUsher's advice is probably best for your situation.

 

Your skulls are already rotting so just macerate them. Bone and teeth will not decompose so the skulls you wanted are fine. Do it properly and what smell there is will be short lived. It will take a week, less than 2, with skulls that small and the process is already started. You have to provide a heat source so that may be an issue for you. For this one off project you can use a submersible aquarium fish tank heater of the correct wattage. If your condo has an outside balcony, place it out there. The bucket will be covered and any real smell will be temporary when you open it. If you try the flowerpot way to rot it all off, do it outside as well ... on your own balcony. Taking skulls and burying them on someone elses property without their permission is not cool. Can also lead to police investigations and other unwanted attention, funeral home or not. You have friends with homes, ask them to clean these on their property instead.

When you buy skulls, always ask if the description is not 100% clear. This site is a great source of suppliers for skulls and they will be cheap, but they will also be in a raw state. The cleaning, all done by you, is what adds a lot of value to a skull.

 

Neighbors would probably never know. But, being what the business is, that sort of activity outside the building would attract unwanted questions and inquiries.