"Attack of the Blood Suckers" Exhibition

Learn the what, why, who and when of how parasites live, work and play at Museum of York County‘s new featured exhibition, "Attack of the Bloodsuckers!" Learn about mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, leeches and other bloodsucking parasites in this skin-crawling exhibition.

Stinky feet can make you more attractive—to a hungry mosquito, that is! Visitors to "Attack of the Bloodsuckers!" will discover the biological wonders of sanguivores—creatures that eat blood—through encounters with live species and interactive exhibits.

At "Attack of the Bloodsuckers!" visitors can look a real leech in the mouth, receive a big hug from a giant, inflating tick, get itchy with the life-size game of “Twitcher”— a buggy variation on Twister, watch mosquito larvae perform their little water ballet, measure the invisible carbon dioxide gas in their breath to learn how mosquitoes follow this gas trail to locate a target, and more.

"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.

Beyond our Basin are a myriad of other sanguinivorous species—from the Amazon Basin to the mountains of Czechoslovakia—each one adapted to feeding in its own unique way. The Espanola mockingbird, endemic to the Galapagos Islands, feeds on other birds, iguanas, sea lions and the occasional researcher. Brazil boasts the teeny-tiny, but very persistent, vampire fish. Even certain butterflies have a taste for blood! 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!"

This exhibition will be on display through Sep. 5.