New Inexpensive Digital Scope Globalizes Pest ID

[Sadsack]

New Inexpensive Digital Microscope Globalizes Pest Identification

Sharper Image has just come out with a digital microscope for less than $100. Read more about it in the What Works section.

The point here is that anyone with a computer, a USB port and internet access can now take a high res 130X photo of a pest anywherein the world and email it for identification and interpretationanywhere in the world.A public health worker in a developing country can put a mosquito, fly, flea, tick etc. on a flat surface take a picture, email it to an expert and get a competent ID almost immediately. Pest control technicians, maintenance engineers and property owners can take a picture of a 'bug' (ant, termite, fly...) on a glue board, a rodent dropping, gnaw mark, track, etc. on the ground and do the same thing. So can a sanitarian, insurance investigator or police detective.

This new technology not only increases our ability to identify pests competently and get to work on solutions quickly; it also creates an opportunity for new technical service businesses. Who is going to do all of these identifications? How will the identifications be paid for?

Two different concepts immediately come to mind:

1) Professional associations such as the Entomological Society of America can set up portals that are manned by expert volunteers 24/7 and supply identifications at no cost to qualified submitters.
2) Entrepreneurs can create worldwide networks of professional taxonomists who will do identifications for all comers for a fee. There are thousands of competent taxonomists around the world, many of whom are retired from museums and universities. Since accuracy is critical and market forces will be at work, submitters will want to get at least two independent identifications before taking action. As disinterested third parties, the identifiers can follow appropriate chain of custody procedures to store the images for use in litigation or scientific research.
I don't know how the uses of this new technology will play out, but I'm delighted that it has arrived. I've been looking for a cost/effective way to make competent IDs available to field workers around the world in 'near real time' ever since I was a research assistant identifying bugs at the Illinois Natural History Survey in the 1960's.

Special thanks to Richard Kirsher (Aerex.com) for calling this new tool out to my attention. I've been identifying specimens for Aerex for nearly 20 years. I developed a method for emailing specimens for ID using a scanner several years ago. The recluse spider picture in the Pest Identification pie slice was done with a scanner. Now Richard's found a better way

[Kritters]

SS, This is seriously wonderful. Just think of how many people will be able to solve their own problems! You know the CDC will try to shut them down, of course, directed by big pharma, but I think good will prevail. I wish they were doing business right now in knowing where to send sample pictures. I took my 'mystery samples' yesterday to the lab, and they said two day old samples will be worthless. I gave them to send anyway. I guess they can't identify a critter if it's dead. Only alive and running around the microscope. So this leads me to believe they just go by the antibodies, titers, etc and not look visually. This could also explain why any samples I've given before were negative. The guy said FOUR HOURS is all the time you have to bring a sample to send out. I find that difficult to believe, but I guess the solution preserves whatever it is. MUST BE MERCURY (thimerosol).

We're gonna drive these incompetent fools CRAZY! A-HAHAHAHAHAHAH! (manic laughter)

xoKritts

[Sadsack]

Kritters -

This is a serious issue with our samples. They seem to always come back negative, regardless of what we see in them. Sometimes the "bugs" disappear altogether.
Fecals for O & P are preserved with formaldehyde (one of them; forget the other substance). I had one done that was LOADED with "aliens" lol....came back negative. Couldn't believe it. Guess they don't test for nanotechnology!

SS

[kmar]

Where is the Microscope page?

I coud not find the "what works?" section.

These below were some of the topics I could find.

Is there a Link to the microscope for less than $100.00 to read morea bout it and the magnification levels and specs? Thank so much.









Thanks, categories like these above is all I could find.
Sorry, I just can't find the Link to the scope and it
seems interesting. The Qx5 does blurry pics at 200x.


.

[stayingalive]

Sadsack,
I'm also interested in which microscope you bought. I've been to the website and see one that sits directly over the specimen without a base. Is this the one? Please share more details with us so that we get the right one.

Thanks
Staying Alive

[Venetia]

Years ago, Greema Jan took a specimen to a Dermie:


Chemtrail Central :: View topic - FIBER DISEASE ALERT: COTTON: A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER!


KOH dissolved the specimen- she is saying was fungal/hyphae

If you read her post, she states that KOH is used to LOOK for fungus:

Fair use

Excerpt:
After more research I found that KOH is commonly used to look at fungus since it will dissolve all other materials on the slide except the chitin residue of the fungus. It will readlly dissolve cellulose and that's exactly what happened.
end excerpt

**

My point- be careful as to what you use to mount specimens on a slide....

Venetia

[Dove]

I hate to be a killjoy, BUT, after several tries a few years ago I was told that they do not accept samples, except from doctors. Even after I asked about possible contamination if disposed in the normal fashion, that being, toilet or trash. They were annoyed and told me to see a doctor.

In one case, this was over 8 years ago, and I was living in NY at the time, there was a substance on my shoe, I thought I got from walking my dogs in the park. They did not have anything on their paws or coat. I called the health authorities. First, they ask if I felt ill, I said no and then they told me to take the shoe to the park authorities and ask them if it was anything they had put down. Which I did. The park attendant told me, no. It looked like nothing they use. I asked him, if he had any guess as to what it was and he said no, but, he did agree to check the park grounds to see if any more was present. I had checked the area and could find nothing. I called the health dept. back and they said they did not want my shoe and if I were ill or became ill to keep it and take it to the doctor with me.

About 4 years after I moved, in May, 2006, I had a skin biopsy (phtomicrograph) they said there was trauma, a chronic ulcer and inflamed seborrheic keratosis. They never identified the cause. The doctor took pictures of some of the other marks. I did not have marks prior to my move.

It is my thought that they know what it is and for whatever reason are keeping it quiet. I had asked the doctor if he had ever seen it before and he said yes. That was when I knew for sure that I was not crazy. Also, you can not biopsy a delusion.

[Sadsack]

Sorry -

I lost track of this thread after posting it. Just saw it today.
I did kind of a lousy job with that post - no link - and it sounded like I wrote it - it was a copy & paste from I-can't-remember-from-where. Go back to the original post and click on "contact us".
I do not have any of this equipment.

SS