Mosquitoes take over Cape Fear Museum
Published: Tuesday, July 9, 2013 at 6:30 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, July 9, 2013 at 3:24 p.m.
Click through to the end of this article to take a quiz on mosquitoes.
What: "Attack of the Bloodsuckers!", an exhibit exploring the science of sanguinivores (animals that eat blood)
When: Through Sept. 9 during museum hours, which are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sundays
Where: Cape Fear Museum, 814 Market St.
Tickets: $7 adults; $6 students, senior citizens and military; $4 children 3-17; free children under 3
Details: 798-4350 or www.CapeFearMuseum.com
With summer in full swing, chances are you've fallen prey to a pesky mosquito or two. If you're looking to learn about the merciless freeloaders, you're in luck: "Attack of the Bloodsuckers!", an exhibit at the Cape Fear Museum that runs through September, takes you behind the science of parasites like mosquitoes, leeches, ticks and more – and even gives you the chance to become one.
Using interactive components, visitors can get inside the mind of a mosquito by using temperature to find a hot meal, detecting carbon monoxide exhaled from living creatures and even mining for a good vein.
"So far, children have enjoyed the exhibit's interactives, especially Phillipa Tick at the top of the stairs," wrote Amy Mangus, the museum's public relations specialist, in an email. "Adults can learn more about sanguinivores – creatures that eat blood – and why they are important to the ecosystem."
With Phillipa, children can take a seat on her lap to become the giant tick's next meal, with Phillipa inflating (with air, alas, not blood) as she feeds. Giant, pop art cartoons done in the style of Roy Lichtenstein depicting a massive invasion by giant bloodsuckers set the tone of the exhibit, and colorful, super-magnified photos of fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and more give you an up-close-and-personal look at the parasites.
There's a video of the life cycle of a mosquito and information on different types of bloodsuckers, such as vampire bats, vampire fish and the kissing bug.
With colorful illustrations, tips for repelling bugs and even a few talking critters, the exhibit, produced by the Environmental Exhibit Collaborative and made possible by grants from Jane's Trust, the Cabot Family Charitable Trust and the U.S. Institute for Museum and Library Services, is just one way kids can keep learning over the summer.
And if the learning bug bites, there's always the rest of the museum to explore.
Nicolien Buholzer: 343-2025
The itchy bumps from mosquito bites are your body's allergic reaction to the mosquito's saliva. Because some people's immune systems are more reactive than others, some people have worse reactions to mosquito bites.
Mosquitoes use carbon dioxide sensors on their faces to detect prey, and then follow the trail to their meal. They can sense carbon dioxide from a half-mile away, so if you see mosquitoes, don't hold your breath. They already know you're there.
A treehole mosquito larva can stay in its egg for up to a year waiting for conditions to be perfect for hatching.
One in 10 people is highly attractive to mosquitoes, and there are many theories as to why. One theory is that mosquitoes are attracted to foot odor, so scrub up and remember to change your socks.
It's a well-known fact that leeches were historically used for various medicinal purposes, but they are still registered by the Food and Drug Administration as a medicinal device. That's because leeches are still used to improve circulation in reattached limbs.
Vampire bats rarely bite people, but don't worry, even if you do get bit, you won't turn into a vampire. In fact, scientists are developing a heart drug called Draculin made from the anticoagulant in vampire bat saliva.
Source: Cape Fear Museum
STAVE OFF THE SUCKERS
How much do you know about keeping mosquitoes away? Take this quiz filled with just a tick of the information found in "Attack of the Bloodsuckers!" on how to keep the mosquitoes away.
1. Which of these commonly believed mosquito repellents actually work?
A: Ultrasonic devices
B: Avon Skin-So-Soft
C: Carbon dioxide mosquito traps
D: Chemical repellents
ANSWER: D. The Federal Trade Commission has stated that claims that ultrasonic devices repel mosquitoes are based on unreliable evidence. Though many claim Avon Skin-So-Soft keeps the pesky parasites away, Avon makes no claim that the lotion is a repellent. Though carbon dioxide traps do, in fact, trap mosquitoes, a 2002 New England Journal of Medicine article warned that such traps lure more mosquitoes to a yard, and not all end up trapped. Chemical repellents, while effective, should be used sparingly.
2. True or false? Mosquitoes can bite through netting if skin is in direct contact with the netting.
ANSWER: True. While mosquitoes can't get through mosquito netting, they can bite through it – and sometimes through your clothes too. A mosquito's heat sensors can help it know where to bite, even if it's covered.
3. How can you reduce the number of mosquitoes growing in your yard?
A: Drill holes in the bottom of tire swings
B: Empty flowerpots and buckets
C: Add fish and frogs to ponds
D: Fill any tree holes with sand
ANSWER: Trick question! The answer's all of the above: Mosquitoes can lay their eggs in anything that holds rainwater, so getting rid of stagnant water in your yard can cut back on the critters.
Source: Cape Fear Museum
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