Microscopes

[ShinySideUp]

On a whim, and because I can, I am buying a microscope of cheap but reasonable quality. I expect to use it for looking at pond life and other natural things but in the normal day-to-day running of a beehive to what use can I put it regarding our stingish friends? It is powerful enough to analyse pollen types and I'll quite enjoy doing that but does it have any practical use?

What do others use their m'scopes for when relevant to beekeeping?

 

[eltalia]

Back in the day I used a preloved low power to determine
pollen types collected by ratio - in that past life I was into
commercial driven pollination. Today I have some motivation
to examine aspects of larval(e) and egg hatchings of anything
from fruit fly to elephant beetle. But now we have camera
enabled scopes, and I want one, definitely.
So which and of what power seeing as how (a.) the Shinese
have many available and (b.) we are not intended on nano
style examination of cells?
Resolution of images rules the buying decision.

Bill

 

[B+.]

What do others use their m'scopes for when relevant to beekeeping?

Mostly varroa related stuff.
It's pretty handy when counting mites on a mite drop insert in the spring, or, inspecting cells when looking for non-reproducing mites (https://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=751&pictureid=3853)

 

[Hivemaker.]

What do others use their m'scopes for when relevant to beekeeping?

One for checking for Nosema, Efb, etc and another for instrumental insemination.

 

[For want of a better word]

Stereo ( X10 X20 X30) for AI and looking at bigger things
An old binocular with an assortment of lenses for " sperm counts" for AI and even oil immersion lense for tiny things.... nosema pollens etc!!

Kit Hill group ran a short microscopy course last summer and I think Liskeard CBKA branch run similar in conjunction with Brunell Microscopes... CharlieVictorBravo would have info!!

Yeghes da

 

[REDWOOD]

On a whim, and because I can, I am buying a microscope of cheap but reasonable quality. I expect to use it for looking at pond life and other natural things but in the normal day-to-day running of a beehive to what use can I put it regarding our stingish friends? It is powerful enough to analyse pollen types and I'll quite enjoy doing that but does it have any practical use?

What do others use their m'scopes for when relevant to beekeeping?

Something like this will be fine with good quality Russian lenses
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-...790298?hash=item2391d9439a:g:DSMAAOSwmiZZw~Vx

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have a cheap Apex
Having had a problem I use mine to check for nosema
Randy Oliver has a neat short cut called a Quick Squash which needs only ten bees

 

[ShinySideUp]

Kit Hill group ran a short microscopy course last summer and I think Liskeard CBKA branch run similar in conjunction with Brunell Microscopes... CharlieVictorBravo would have info!!

Yeghes da

I looked at stereo 'scopes but a monocular is more my thing as between the two 'scopes I looked at the stereo went from 10x to 40x and the mono one went from 40x upwards. Since I already have a loupe that magnifies to 20x I wasn't going to duplicate. The Brunell SP22 is my weapon of choice and as I said in my original post it's more for microscopic pond life with the bees as a secondary interest. I'll check with Chris at the Liskeard branch as I'm going there next week.

 

[Beefriendly]

even oil immersion lense for tiny things.... nosema pollens etc!!

Oil immersion not really necessary for nosema and most pollen's (Forget-me-not excepted). x60 lens with 10x eyepiece is more than sufficient for nosema and is too poweful for most pollens which range up to 150 microns, your 10x and 20x lens are more suited for examining pollens.
Oil immersion is needed mainly for bacterial examinations.

 

[drex]

When I sat the microscopy exam, Brunel were very helpful. I ended up with the SP 22 for high power work, and an MX 6 for dissecting. They came as a double offer recommended for those thinking of taking the exam. Dissecting scopes ( which I think you are calling stereoscopes) have prisms which correct the inversion which happens on a high power scope, so that if you approach your target from the right ( eg a bee you are dissecting) then the scalpel appears to come in from the right. Without the prisms it would appear to come in from the left, which would make dissection difficult to say the least. Now wish I had better optics than the SP 22, but it is still perfectly adequate.

X400 magnification is adequate for nosema and pollen ID. Have adapted the light source on the dissecting scope to give all round illumination, rather than the unilateral source it came with

 

[For want of a better word]

Oil immersion not really necessary for nosema and most pollen's (Forget-me-not excepted). x60 lens with 10x eyepiece is more than sufficient for nosema and is too poweful for most pollens which range up to 150 microns, your 10x and 20x lens are more suited for examining pollens.
Oil immersion is needed mainly for bacterial examinations.

BUT....
I have seen new dry lenses that give the same magnification without the need for all the messy oil that we used to use getting on for over 40 years ago now when I did my finals in bacteriology / haematology at Westminster group labs!!

Not that expensive either!

Yeghes da

 

[philipm]

Have mine linked to the computer use it for bee related stuff Nosema ect, also use it to check the state of our well water.

 

[Beefriendly]

BUT....
I have seen new dry lenses that give the same magnification without the need for all the messy oil that we used to use getting on for over 40 years ago now when I did my finals in bacteriology / haematology at Westminster group labs!!

Not that expensive either!

Yeghes da

You can get an image without using oil with an ordinary oil immersion lens as well. But the difference in quality and light gathered is far superior with oil.
There are now specialized zoom lens that allow you to magnify up to 1000X with ease and without oil. I was playing with one at the Microscience Microscopy Congress in Manchester earlier this year where I was working. At 250K a pop they are not cheap!

 

[Millet]

I have one here that my nephew bought from a charity shop for 2 quid, all i could see when i looked through the eye piece was a reflection of my eye lashes so i think he may have been ripped off