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Microscopy for beekeepers

The Microscope has many uses in beekeeping:-

Compound Microscopes Can be used for disease recognition and to see if bee semen contains live sperm. Pollen recognition is another important branch that sometimes requires the highest magnifications.

Binocular Microscopes Have uses in dissection and instrumental insemination.

Microscopes with Micrometer Stages In conjunction with graticule eyepieces are able to do many of the measuring jobs associated with morphometric analysis.

There are also uses for magnifying hand lenses and loupes.

Thin sections can be prepared with relatively crude home made microtomes. Although there are plenty of microtomes constantly coming up for auction on eBay and they are not expensive.

I describe a hotplate that I made from the remains of an old steam iron. This can be used to keep jugs of molten wax in the liquid state for candle making and has uses in slide preparation. Various small ovens can be made crudely from tin cans and light bulbs and can be used for preparing slides or melting embedding wax.

LED illumination a new form of lighting that is suitable for microscopy and instrumental insemination will be described with manufacturing plans.

Optical theory to suit stage one of the Irish beekeeping examinations will be prepared and published here to help those preparing for the Irish exams.