SPB & Invasive Insects - Nifty Tools
Ultra-Fine Dissecting Probes
The dissecting probes above were fabricated for manipulating an antenna once it is mounted on the indifferent electrode. These tools are extremely helpful for inserting the end of a long filamentous antenna into the tip of the signal electrode. They are made by inserting the base of a minuten insect pin into the end of the wooden shaft of a cotton-tip applicator. A hole is initiated in the shaft with a heavier pin and the minuten is secured in place with glue (hot-glue was used for the probes shown here). The minuten can be bent into a variety of shapes for addressing specific needs.
Tool for Scoring (and Breaking) Pipette Tips
For the signal electrode to make “noise-free” contact with the tip of an antenna, it helps if the tapered end of the pipette is cut as cleanly as possible with no uneven or jagged edges. Crushing or breaking the pipette with a forceps almost never leaves a clean, circular opening. To prevent the glass from shattering, first score (“scratch”) the glass with the tool shown (above right), and then break the pipette tip off cleanly by gently grasping it with a forceps just beyond the scratches and twisting carefully (see ANTENNAL PREPARATION ). The scoring tool was constructed from fragments of a ceramic wafer (used for scoring GC capillary columns) that had been smashed with a hammer. Fragments with especially sharply-angled edges are inserted into a slit cut into one end of the wooden shaft of a cotton-tipped applicator and secured with a small amount of glue. The tool provides the precision and control needed for scoring the pipette tip at a specific, desired location
Storing Pulled Electrode Pipettes
The pipette storage device shown at left was made by sticking a piece of adhesive-backed weather stripping to the bottom of a 10-cm diam. plastic petri dish and cutting a series of width-wise slits into the foam rubber. The pipettes are held securely within the slits, preventing damage to the sharpened ends. We use a forceps or a "triceps" for maneuvering the pipettes in and out of the slits. We got the idea from Eva Pettersson who used a strip of dental wax instead of the weather stripping.
Mention of trade names is for information purposes only and does not imply an endorsement by the USDA. Questions, comments, and corrections are welcome and should be sent to Brian Sullivan at briansullivan@fs.fed.us .