Am I being overly sensitive?

Do you have any microscopy questions, which you are afraid to ask? This is your place.
Post Reply
Message
Author
MZsarko
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2020 7:26 pm

Am I being overly sensitive?

#1 Post by MZsarko » Wed Oct 28, 2020 5:47 am

Ok, stupid question from a newbie..

I just scored a halfway decent scope and accessories off craigslist to keep me entertained while the sky is screwed up for astro stuff. While trying to get some pollen off a rose a few bugs fell out. Tiny damn things too. so I throw a slide cover on and hoped to catch on.
It took three tries but I finally got one! The view was mesmerizing! Until I noticed that there was digestion going on. And it had a broken antenna that was leaking out dark fluid. I realized that this was a living creature and I was kind of torturing it for my own viewing pleasure.
So let's hear it!

Am I being stupid?

MichaelG.
Posts: 3978
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:24 am
Location: North Wales

Re: Am I being overly sensitive?

#2 Post by MichaelG. » Wed Oct 28, 2020 7:12 am

No ... Not stupid, but thoughtful

You may find this discussion from 2019 interesting:
viewtopic.php?t=7795

MichaelG.
Too many 'projects'

User avatar
tabkiel
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2020 10:57 am
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Contact:

Re: Am I being overly sensitive?

#3 Post by tabkiel » Wed Oct 28, 2020 11:08 am

Hi there!

I've had this problem before, but not with insects... when it comes to microbes, they're tiny, so they don't really care and I usually just put them back in the culture so to them it was just a really weird earthquake or something.

Insects and insect larvae are a problem though. They're bigger than microbes and the cover slit usually crushes them :( very very sad, so what I try to do is look at them in their natural habitat, observe their behavior and look at a few specimens under the microscope, just to see what they're like up close.

After I identify them, I try to avoid catching more specimens with similar behavior, as I probably already know what they are.

I did this for midgefly larvae, not sure if it would work for your bugs. If they're big enough, you can also use a magnifying glass or a good camera to look at them without hurting them!

In short, no, you're not being stupid, this is a very good thing to think about, in my opinion. It shows you actually care, not just about the cold scientific aspects of these guys, but also about them as individuals and as fellow inhabitants of our universe :3

Hope this helps!

~ Tenshi
This is my 'spirit', my 'intellect'. I am alive.

Greg Howald
Posts: 1185
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:44 am

Re: Am I being overly sensitive?

#4 Post by Greg Howald » Wed Oct 28, 2020 11:55 am

It's good to be sensitive about dealing with the creatures of the earth no matter how small. So how come I don't feel this way about mosquito larvae?😃
Greg

apochronaut
Posts: 6272
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 12:15 am

Re: Am I being overly sensitive?

#5 Post by apochronaut » Wed Oct 28, 2020 12:41 pm

I kept the tick that gave me Lyme disease, made her a nice little home of sticks and dead vegetation and let her gestate her eggs in a peaceful and relaxed envionment. Her larva as they grew to healthy nymphs were a wonder to behold. I used to let them frolick and play in the warm security of my arm hairs, playful little darlings that they were. Eventually the nymphs grew and prospered, becoming just what I had hoped for them, all models of a strong, vital and responsible tick , quite brilliant they were actually , too. They all could easily find the spot with the richest and most productive blood supply in very short order. I sent them off into the wide world, fully engorged with Borellia Burdorferi awaiting yet further adventures and fully confident thst they will enjoy a long and fruitful life. In fact, I 'm expecting my first postcard any time soon!

User avatar
Roldorf
Posts: 574
Joined: Tue Apr 23, 2019 6:58 pm
Location: Northern Germany

Re: Am I being overly sensitive?

#6 Post by Roldorf » Wed Oct 28, 2020 2:28 pm

apochronaut wrote:
Wed Oct 28, 2020 12:41 pm
I kept the tick that gave me Lyme disease, made her a nice little home of sticks and dead vegetation and let her gestate her eggs in a peaceful and relaxed envionment. Her larva as they grew to healthy nymphs were a wonder to behold. I used to let them frolick and play in the warm security of my arm hairs, playful little darlings that they were. Eventually the nymphs grew and prospered, becoming just what I had hoped for them, all models of a strong, vital and responsible tick , quite brilliant they were actually , too. They all could easily find the spot with the richest and most productive blood supply in very short order. I sent them off into the wide world, fully engorged with Borellia Burdorferi awaiting yet further adventures and fully confident thst they will enjoy a long and fruitful life. In fact, I 'm expecting my first postcard any time soon!
.

Its a shame we can't rate these posts this one would get a 5 out of 5. :D
Location: Northern Germany

Unknown Brand: Optika SFX 91: Bresser Science Infinity: Canon 4000d
ImageImage

Element 56
Posts: 330
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2016 3:48 pm
Location: Lancaster County, PA

Re: Am I being overly sensitive?

#7 Post by Element 56 » Wed Oct 28, 2020 8:09 pm

apochronaut wrote:
Wed Oct 28, 2020 12:41 pm
I kept the tick that gave me Lyme disease, made her a nice little home of sticks and dead vegetation and let her gestate her eggs in a peaceful and relaxed envionment. Her larva as they grew to healthy nymphs were a wonder to behold. I used to let them frolick and play in the warm security of my arm hairs, playful little darlings that they were. Eventually the nymphs grew and prospered, becoming just what I had hoped for them, all models of a strong, vital and responsible tick , quite brilliant they were actually , too. They all could easily find the spot with the richest and most productive blood supply in very short order. I sent them off into the wide world, fully engorged with Borellia Burdorferi awaiting yet further adventures and fully confident thst they will enjoy a long and fruitful life. In fact, I 'm expecting my first postcard any time soon!
I had Lyme and it went undiagnosed for nearly a decade. It was hell! I still have lingering effects that I deal with everyday. I'm not so sure I would feel bad about destroying the source of my disease, however, killing it certainly would not put a dent in the problem. He was only doing his job.

For the most part I find fully intact dead bugs to look at. I also collect Victorian specimens and those mounts are much better than I can make. However, if one has a practical purpose I don't have a problem with killing them. I would make it as painless and quick as I can.

Sometimes mistakes happen. I went to top off a petri dish of microbes the other day and for some dumb reason I picked up a container of 70% alcohol instead of water. They weren't too happy but I immediately set them free. I wont' be getting a post card from that lot!

DonSchaeffer
Posts: 3275
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2020 10:06 am
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Re: Am I being overly sensitive?

#8 Post by DonSchaeffer » Wed Oct 28, 2020 9:29 pm

a stereo microscope is better for observing insects without crushing them. Insects are too big for compound microscopes. Even a digital microscope is a good insect watching option. I really do feel guilty abut all the thousands of microbes I destroyed. I don't know what to say about that. I just absorb the guilt.

BramHuntingNematodes
Posts: 1538
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:29 am
Location: Georgia, USA

Re: Am I being overly sensitive?

#9 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Wed Oct 28, 2020 10:00 pm

if you dont get embalmed you can look forward to letting lots of microbes flourish in your corpse after you die, so that's something
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

MZsarko
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2020 7:26 pm

Re: Am I being overly sensitive?

#10 Post by MZsarko » Wed Oct 28, 2020 10:43 pm

Thanks, everyone. I feel better now.

I definitely won't be viewing any insects. At least with this microscope. Not really sure how deep I want to go into this particular rabbit hole yet. Even though I was looking at some $1500 objectives :roll: .

Element 56
Posts: 330
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2016 3:48 pm
Location: Lancaster County, PA

Re: Am I being overly sensitive?

#11 Post by Element 56 » Thu Oct 29, 2020 1:53 am

Live view through the stereo microscope is good for everyone. Found this little lady crawling across my shop floor and she agreed to a few quick pics with my cell phone. My basement is a favorite hideout for Wolf spiders. They're a very effective and inexpensive pest control solution!
IMG_28102020_215003_(600_x_800_pixel).jpg
IMG_28102020_215003_(600_x_800_pixel).jpg (59.71 KiB) Viewed 5262 times
IMG_28102020_214858_(600_x_800_pixel).jpg
IMG_28102020_214858_(600_x_800_pixel).jpg (70.36 KiB) Viewed 5262 times
Kirby

EYE C U
Posts: 288
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2020 5:18 pm

Re: Am I being overly sensitive?

#12 Post by EYE C U » Thu Oct 29, 2020 6:55 pm

sp.jpg
sp.jpg (134.19 KiB) Viewed 5242 times
that is why i quit doing pic of spiders...suddenly the house was taken over...

Greg Howald
Posts: 1185
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:44 am

Re: Am I being overly sensitive?

#13 Post by Greg Howald » Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:59 pm

Millions of these things are destroyed every day to safeguard your health in both water and sewage plants and in food preparation, but when it's you doing it things can get personal.
I remind myself that when my life is over and they lay my body in the ground, these things will certainly have their revenge.

MZsarko
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2020 7:26 pm

Re: Am I being overly sensitive?

#14 Post by MZsarko » Thu Nov 05, 2020 6:38 am

Element 56 wrote:
Thu Oct 29, 2020 1:53 am
Live view through the stereo microscope is good for everyone. Found this little lady crawling across my shop floor and she agreed to a few quick pics with my cell phone. My basement is a favorite hideout for Wolf spiders. They're a very effective and inexpensive pest control solution!

IMG_28102020_215003_(600_x_800_pixel).jpg

IMG_28102020_214858_(600_x_800_pixel).jpg

Kirby
Now that's freaking cool!

Plasmid
Posts: 566
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2020 5:34 am
Location: North GA
Contact:

Re: Am I being overly sensitive?

#15 Post by Plasmid » Thu Nov 05, 2020 3:19 pm

:lol: this made my day......week
apochronaut wrote:
Wed Oct 28, 2020 12:41 pm
I kept the tick that gave me Lyme disease, made her a nice little home of sticks and dead vegetation and let her gestate her eggs in a peaceful and relaxed envionment. Her larva as they grew to healthy nymphs were a wonder to behold. I used to let them frolick and play in the warm security of my arm hairs, playful little darlings that they were. Eventually the nymphs grew and prospered, becoming just what I had hoped for them, all models of a strong, vital and responsible tick , quite brilliant they were actually , too. They all could easily find the spot with the richest and most productive blood supply in very short order. I sent them off into the wide world, fully engorged with Borellia Burdorferi awaiting yet further adventures and fully confident thst they will enjoy a long and fruitful life. In fact, I 'm expecting my first postcard any time soon!

Plasmid
Posts: 566
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2020 5:34 am
Location: North GA
Contact:

Re: Am I being overly sensitive?

#16 Post by Plasmid » Thu Nov 05, 2020 4:00 pm

Even when moving down from insects to ciliates, you'll notice that although lacking a nervous system or nosiceptors, Ciliates will behave in what appears to be a painful way, when adding a drop of alcohol to your slide sample, just before lysis or turning into a cyst. Is it cruel? .. maybe, but just think that anything from washing your hands, to heating up your food will have the same effect on a microscopic level.

Post Reply