Which Microscope Should you Buy for Your Greenhouse?
With new invasive species popping up, the need for growers to more closely inspect pests and damage is at an all time high. This has led to interest in on-farm pest identification.
When it comes to thrips identification, specifically, investing in a microscope is a necessary evil. But a decent microscope is now a LOT cheaper than it used to be. Here, we’ve provided a video to walk you through what features to look for.
The full post will also provide you with model numbers and links, to make microscope shopping easier!
Microscope Buying Tips:
All features referred to in our thrips identification key can typically be seen using a mid-quality dissection microscope. Your microscope will need to have a minimum 40X magnification. Though there are certainly other microscopes of equal or better quality available, we’ve verified the models we talk about in this video to make sure they are sufficient for identifying thrips.
For more details not covered in this video, you can consult our microscope buying guide. Links to the specific models are provided below the video.
Inexpensive (~$500) Dissecting Microscopes with Continuous Zoom
Continuous zoom microscopes are the most expensive but are also the highest quality and offer
the best user experience. They have the longest working distance (the distance between the body of the microscope and the stage), making it easy to position and locate your specimens.
The one we use in our workshops is the AmScope SM-1 Series microscope with continuous zoom (7-45x). There are many variants in this series, but we recommend the model SM-1BS. You can find this on the AmScope website for just over $560 CDN with shipping. It comes with a ring light, which is a bonus. AmScope often runs really good sales, including black Friday, boxing day, presidents day, and open box deals. So if the price seems a bit steep for you right now, mark these holidays on your calendar to go microscope shopping!
You can also purchase similar models from Amazon. For example, we like the Parco Scientific PA-1EX continuous zoom binocular stereo microscope, 7-45x, which is listed at $418. Note that this link may not be stable (as is often the case with Amazon suppliers). You can always put the model number in the search bar, but different suppliers may have different prices, so make sure to scroll through the options.
Compact Stereo Microscopes with Static Zoom (e.g. 10X, 20X, 40X)
These can offer a good balance of portability, affordability, and quality. They have a shorter working distance than continuous zoom microscopes, and may feel crowded depending on the user. But, their size and weight make them a good option if you need to bring your microscope to different locations regularly.
We like the AmScope SE3 Series compact forward-mounted binocular stereo microscopes (20x-40x). For our workshops, we used the AmScope SE306 (around $300 CDN with shipping). Another option is AmScope SE305 (around $325 CDN with shipping). Make sure to get one of the ones with higher magnification (it needs to go to 40 or 45X for thrips ID). But there are lots of microscopes in the SE series that would also do. It will depend on what you want regarding light sources or ability to charge it.
Inexpensive (<$500) Compound Scope:
A compound microscope should only be necessary if you want to positively ID several economically-important thrips without involving an outside expert. This includes Thrips parvispinus (which cannot be 100% distinguished from Thrips setosus using only a dissecting scope). A few growers who bring in large volumes of cuttings from high-risk areas have chosen to recently invest in a compound scope, to keep all their thrips identification on-farm.
The NJEDU Compound Scope (model #EF12021) from Amazon.ca is a great price for a compound scope (currently at $319 CDN). We have confirmed you can see all the small features you need to see for more complicated thrips identification (e.g. Thrips parvispinus versus Thrips setosus) using this model.
You can look up videos on You-tube of how exactly to use a compound microscope, as they are a bit different than dissecting scopes. I like this video, but there are lot’s more out there.
Other tools used when identifying thrips
All of these helpful little accessories can be found in online stores such as Amazon. If you want to shop in-person, most of these supplies can be found at craft stores such as Michael’s.
- Fine tip paint brush. Used to pick up thrips specimens. Can be found in craft stores in the painting section. Look for size 0, 00, or 2/0. The brush tip should be about the size of a pencil lead.
- Dissection probe, aka “teasing needle”. A pointed, thin, metal tool that you can use to get your specimen into position. Dissection probes usually come included in a student’s dissection kit, or they can be purchased on their own in online stores. Other tools will serve the same purpose include long sturdy sewing needles (such as those used for upholstery, embroidery, or leatherwork) or a fine point awl (such as tailors, beading, needle-point, or light-duty awls). These can be found at craft stores and sewing supply stores.
- Transfer pipette or droppers. Used to suck up thrips in ethanol without needing to pour out the whole vial, or remove ethanol from your dish. Can be found at craft stores, often among painting accessories or soap making supplies, or on Amazon.
- Petri dishes. Used to hold your specimen and ethanol while you’re examining them under the microscope. Petri dishes are not typically found in regular stores, so if you want the real deal, you’ll need to shop online. Any small shallow dish will serve the purpose. The dish can be plastic or glass, but you ideally want something with a completely flat bottom that doesn’t have any grooves or ridges. You should use a clear or white dish to ensure the greatest contrast to be able to see the hairs on the pronotum.
- Aspirator to easily collect thrips from leaves or after pan taps. You can watch our video on building your own aspirator, below.
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