Insects:
- Put the insect in the freezer for a few minutes to slow it down enough to take a good photo;
- Put the insect on a piece of solid colored paper (sticky paper if necessary to slow it down) for a good background;
- Don’t smash it;
- Place inside a small glass jar.
Plants:
Although digital diagnosis is more difficult for disease samples than for insect or weed identification, we can often provide at least a preliminary diagnosis if we receive images of good quality. Smartphones generally take good images if you follow a few guidelines.
- Submit only digital images that are clear and in focus.
- Include ~3 to a maximum of 7 well-focused images that show:
a. the pattern of the problem in the location (e.g. field, orchard, nursery, landscape, garden)
b. the overall symptoms on the whole plant
c. a close-up of the symptoms on an affected plant, including images of both leaf surfaces if there
are symptoms on leaves - Try to avoid strong shadows on the sample; outdoor images taken on a cloudy day are best. When
taking pictures indoors, try to illuminate the plant from both sides to eliminate shadows in the photo
and place on a neutral background. - New images may be requested if the images are not of good quality and therefore not
appropriate for diagnosing the problem. - All images must be in GIF, JPG, PNG, or PDF, but we prefer GIF or JPG.
- Do not send small-size images (e.g. < 500 pixels); ~2,000 pixels works well.
- Be sure to also send an image as close up as possible of area showing clear damage. This may help us identify insects which might be causing your problem. See bottom images as an example. Include an even more detailed closeup if at all possible.
Examples of Good Digital Submissions:
