Folks,
I just tried the mite demo again for my 8 year old son Daniel and found
a couple of things that might help. Since I think it was a great demo I
am sharing a couple other things which may help.
1. This time I tried adding a coverslip so I could see it on high power
(40 X) and might be expected the chaps showed up much nicer even at 20X.
The chaps also lasted in the oil for over an hour still moving so you
don't need to worry about killing them right away. I heard they
sometimes live in sebaceous glands so it is not surprising that being in
oil for a bit does not kill them. I was at home and had to use cooking
oil, but I am sure the refractive properties of immersion oil are a bit
better. When looking for them don't have the image of a round chap.
These are much more worm shaped. Just like a tiny grub.
2. You really have to stretch the skin and scrape HARD. The first, my
brother in law scraped lightly and we came up with nothing. The second
time when he scraped (with my knife) harder, we had lots. I went for
the skin right above the eyebrows.
--
James F. Mahaffy e-mail: mahaffy at dordt.edu
Biology Department phone: 712 722-6279
Dordt College FAX 712 722-1198
Sioux Center, Iowa 51250
