Preparing slides for microscopy - help!

[loobiloo]

Hi, I'm collecting samples to detect chorioptic mites with tape and I wondered if anybody knew the best way to prepare the samples for microscopy. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[GreedyGuts]

Tape is not the best way to detect mites, but the best way to look at tape samples is just to stick them over a microscope slide, and then look at them with the tape side facing up. If you were looking for bacteria of fungi you would stain them first, but I can't see there is much point doing this.
Coat brushings/hair plucks would be a better way of looking for mites.

 

[loobiloo]

Thanks, I wasn't too sure about the staining so will have a go without. I'm doing skin scrapings too as I know tape isn't the best method but thought it would be worth a try anyway. Thanks again