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Media Releases

Attack of the Bloodsuckers!:

A Skin-Crawling Summer Exhibition at the Manitoba Children’s Museum

It’s the Science of What’s Eating You — Exhibition Opening June 1st

For Immediate Release
May 31, 2010

WINNIPEG, MB - Stinky feet can make you more attractive — to a hungry mosquito, that is! Explore the science of what’s eating you at Attack of the Bloodsuckers!, a temporary exhibition at the Children’s Museum from June 1 to September 6, 2010. This special exhibition is presented by Off!, with support from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. Visitors to Attack of the Bloodsuckers! will discover the biological wonders of sanguinivores — creatures that eat blood — through encounters with live species and interactive exhibits.

  • Look a real leech in the mouth;
  • Pull off your socks and test your bug-appealing foot odor;
  • Receive a big hug from a giant, inflatable tick;
  • Get itchy and knotty with the life-size game of “Twitcher” — a buggy variation on Twister™!

Attack of the Bloodsuckers! also provides visitors with helpful hints for avoiding these sometimes annoying creatures. Simple precautions like keeping your yard free of standing water where mosquitoes breed, and checking yourself carefully for deer ticks before they can transmit Lyme disease, go a long way toward keeping you comfortable and safe.

Sara Hancheruk, Director of Education and Exhibits at the Manitoba Children’s Museum says, “Some of these insect species are known disease carriers, and their increasing populations are a public health concern — as a community resource, we want to address that.” But don’t let that keep you from admiring the amazing anatomy of the mosquito, or from learning what makes a tick “tick.”

Hancheruk adds, “We’re really more interested in the science, rather than the fear-factor, of what’s eating you. These parasites are often considered scary, slimy creatures that no one wants to be bitten by. This exhibition can help to diminish some of these fears by educating children that such parasites are much more important than a lot of us are aware. ”

We all need food to survive, and animals that eat blood are no different. In fact, most of them manage to leave their prey alive — which is more than most of us can say! With about 20 grams of protein in every drop, human blood is high-energy fuel for the animals who’ve adapted to eating it — and they have each adapted to feeding in their own unique ways. Black flies, for example, use their scissor-like jaws to create a wound in the skin, then lick up the resulting pool of blood, while ticks, native to our area, can swell up to 600 times their original size!

The incredible biodiversity of bloodsuckers is sure to amaze and impress. While we can’t guarantee you’ll want to make friends with these critters, you’re sure to respect them after experiencing Attack of the Bloodsuckers!.

Media are welcome to join us Tuesday, June 1, 2010 at 11:00AM for the grand opening of Attack of the Bloodsuckers! If you are planning to attend or would like more information about this exhibition, please call the number below.

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Media Contact:
Lisa Dziedzic
Director of Marketing & Communications
Direct Line: 924-4011

Download a PDF-version of this media release here.

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