Hi from Cambridgeshire in the UK

**Foundation** · 12-27-2010, 06:51 PM

My name is Maurice Vaughan, but for more years than i can remember i have had the nickname Mo. So it s Mo. I have been keeping bees for about 12 years and raise my own queens, As an off shoot to beekeeping i have taken up Microscopy and am our associations Microscopist. I enjoy dissecting bees to show the workings of their internal organs and also their individual limbs, to obtain a better understanding of the bees form and function. Pollen is another avenue of my hobby , by now i think i have at least 300 differennt pollen slides which have been stained to show the exquisit structure of the pollen grains. i am now begining to delve into sectioning. I hope to be of help to others in my fields of experience.

Thank you

**AmericasBeekeeper** · 12-27-2010, 07:09 PM

Welcome to Mo!

**Morris** · 12-28-2010, 06:18 AM

Welcome Mo. Which stains do you recomend for staining pollen?

**Foundation** · 12-28-2010, 09:51 AM

Hi Morris,
I started off with Safranine Aqueous 1% but later changed to a mixture of my own. The mix was a blue food colouring into a clear glycerine jelly I added a small amount each time until the required colouration was what I wanted and that is what I still use. Nowadays the company that i use for supplies has produced it own stained glycerine to save on expence of buying the stain and mountant separately, now its done already to use.
I have been bored by these red or purple colours I am looking for a yellowish stain. Can you recommend any?

I am sorry that at present i can not upload any of my pollen shots for you to see. I@ll get on to that later.

Best wishes

**Morris** · 12-28-2010, 10:11 AM

Mo,

I will check my library of stains for a yellow. I would be interested in the name of the company that is selling the pre-mixed stain. Would you be willing to share that info?

**Foundation** · 12-28-2010, 01:32 PM

Hi Morris
Yes of course I will share the information that's what these forums are all about helpingeach other. i get my pre staines stuff from Brunel microscopes <brunelmicro@compuserve.com>; I understand they will ship to all over the world. Hope that helps.

Mo

**Morris** · 12-29-2010, 06:35 AM

Mo,

Haven't forgotten the yellow stain, I hope to get out to the barn today for a look. However in the meantime, have you seen the book Pollen The Hidden Sexuality of Flowers?
This book is by far the best I have seen for photo microscopy of pollen and flowers.

**dragonfly** · 12-29-2010, 09:17 AM

Welcome to Beesource Mo!

**Foundation** · 12-30-2010, 04:16 AM

Hi Dragonfly
So many weeds eh! Those many weeds do produce a good amount of pollen for our bees. Little time, yes it does creap up upon us when we think we have done all preps for the new season and bang something comes up and it got to be delt with quicly, (swarming come to mind)?

Mo

**Morris** · 12-30-2010, 09:16 AM

Mo, I should have indicated that the authors of Pollen are Kesseler and Harley.

Re: a yellow stain, you might try eosine yellow. It is freely soiluble in water. In dilute solutions (1:500+) it is a yellowish red. I have not tried this myself. Hope this helps.

**Foundation** · 12-30-2010, 05:05 PM

Thanks for that Morris, I will look it up and see who sells it and hopeful;ly have a nice bright yellow stain for pollen.

Mo

**beekuk** · 12-31-2010, 05:54 PM

Welcome Mo.

**bjoynes** · 01-05-2011, 06:35 AM

Welcome, and am interested to see some photos of the pollen and dissection. I have a Stereo Microscope, as well as compound. The stereo is the main instrument for ID of insects. See you around Mo.

Best Regards

Bryn