"Dude, it's cool!" Susan Toone, Part 4: Night of the Living Dead Stuff

Editor's Note: MOD Voices guest blogger Susan Toone continues. Today we learn about bedbugs. For more buggy facts visit the Museum of Discovery's current exhibit, Harry's Big Adventure


Night of the Living Dead Stuff

Bedbugs, thought to be eradicated in the dark ages of the 1950s (the same decade as when the landscape started sprouting hotels for all those travelers going west who grew weary of sleeping in their covered wagons), are now back with a vengeance. Even chic New Yorkers are fleeing their posh apartments and sleeping in the streets because the hotels are full of screaming tourists demanding new rooms, “and hold the bedbugs!”

Talk about gross. Here’s how the repugnant little bugger operates: he first zaps you with TWO hollow feeding tubes. Into the first tube, he injects his saliva into directly into your skin. This blocks the sensation while he sucks your blood out of the other tube and feasts on you. It’s a bit like a wine tasting: if the first bedbug smacks his lips with enthusiasm, the others join in.

I’ve never been fond of cockroaches, but since I found they are natural predators of bedbugs, I’m going to start treating them like family. Your other two options for avoiding these nefarious but tiny monsters:

 • NEVER travel.

 • NEVER allow anyone who has traveled – anywhere - to stay with you. That’s what hotels are for.

Susan Toone lives with her husband, two teenagers and two dogs in Little Rock. The husband and dogs are great; the teenagers are driving her crazy. She works at Acxiom and has a blog.

Editor's Note: Susan Toone finished her blog mini-series with other Museum awesomeness.

"Dude, it's cool!" Susan Toone, Part 3: Breaking the news to celebrities who recycle

Editor's Note: MOD Voices guest blogger Susan Toone continues. Today we explore the wonderful recycling talents of bugs. Learn more buggy facts at the Museum of Discovery's current exhibit, Harry's Big Adventure


Julia Roberts was on the cover of Vanity Fair’s Green Issue a few years ago, radiant in green as the Earth-Mother Goddess. I like Julia Roberts (except when she says things like “I am, like, so totally, definitely a practicing Hindu and really into chanting!”). I found Vanity Fair’s choice comical, as their cover girl said she was new to recycling, but had started taking her own mug to Starbucks. 


Wow – that’s event-changing for all of us! 


I hate to break the news to her and Leo and all the other celebrities who make headlines by arriving in a Prius at the Oscars: Millipedes, beetles and wild termites are SO far ahead of you in recycling! They not only eat stuff, but also help recycle nutrients. And they laugh and point at your behind your backs because they know you have at least 20 other cars parked at one of your many mansions around the world. And spend a fortune on coffee from a place where workers can’t afford a cup of joe.

Susan Toone lives with her husband, two teenagers and two dogs in Little Rock. The husband and dogs are great; the teenagers are driving her crazy. She works at Acxiom and has a blog.

Editor's Note: Up next...why cockroaches should garner more respect.

"Dude, it's Cool!" Susan Toone, Part 2: Harry

Editor's Note: MOD Voices guest blogger Susan Toone continues. Today is all about Harry from the Museum of Discovery's current exhibit, Harry's Big Adventure.

Harry is a travelling mantis; he was in a fancy hotel room somewhere in the heartland ordering takeout when we visited. However, he left behind video that my oldest daughter and I watched over and over again. Harry seized a butterfly and ate it alive, followed by a black bug, followed by a lime green bug….. After each meal, Harry delicately cleaned his hands of every morsel, as I do after I’ve made something chocolate or a meringue. I couldn’t stop watching him. My daughter commented, “What a slow and painful death. Not the best kind of death,” and then added “I’m both freaked out and fascinated."




I got chills thinking about my close encounter with one of Harry’s brethren while recently watering an Autumn Joy during a really dry spell. I thought my mantis was a leaf, so I bent to pluck him; he startled me by flourishing his little arms, informing me that I should really consider my next move. I raised the nozzle a bit higher so he could enjoy a nice shower vs. a deluge. He climbed to the tip-top of the plant and signaled his thanks – he couldn’t get enough of the water. I didn’t know what a predator he was then, and I shudder to think of the consequences had I not done his bidding. He never did tell me where he was from.



(Incidentally, the “praying mantis fist” is a form of martial arts, inspired by the aggressiveness of guys like Harry.)

Weekend bug petting zoo

Next to the scary videos of Harry, we discovered a family of Dung Beetles. They almost shimmered and might be more appealing if they weren’t eating and playing in poop. Unlike some of the other insects (for example, Cuddles the Scorpion, who looked lonely), they looked very busy and we couldn’t help but wonder: where does the poop in the habitat come from? Because I have two dogs and I’d be happy to contribute.



We experienced what a locust attack would sound like and watched a few people, including my daughter, eat savory bugs and worms prepared by the Terminix chefs. I could go on and on about the bugs – who knew they were so fascinating.

 Susan Toone lives with her husband, two teenagers and two dogs in Little Rock. The husband and dogs are great; the teenagers are driving her crazy. She works at Acxiom and has a blog.

Editor's Note: Up next..what bugs could teach a thing or two to celebrities.

“Dude, it’s cool!” Susan Toone, Part 1: Falling in love with bugs all over again

Editor's Note: MOD Voices is honored to present a blog mini-series by our friend Susan Toone!
 
Note to Readers: This blog does not contain scientific terms.
I wasn’t sure how much enthusiasm three teenagers, ranging in age from 13 – 15, were going to display when told I was taking them to the Museum of Discovery. They got really excited, like teenagers do. “Yeah, okay. Cool.”

Visiting the cow in "Room to Grow"

We were greeted at the museum by Borus the Sphinx Rat (who is hairless and jumped on his wheel immediately to impress us), Charles, a baby ball python whose body size has not yet caught up with his head, and Ginger, an Iguana who looks as if she has found her bliss.

Exhibits at the museum range from cool to creepy, from mystery to murder, from silliness to heartbreak. You can’t help but notice that Albert Einstein is to the museum what Nearly Headless Nick is to Hogwarts: an enthusiastic, friendly presence who gleefully peeps over the shoulders of children discovering their world through play.

My greatest learning experiences were twofold: how much I love bugs and how much science fiction owes to their behavior. You can’t help but think of Alien as you watch a spider deftly wrap a munchie in her web. Harry the Chinese Praying Mantis and his kin have obviously influenced the look of many aliens, both in look and manner. Although Harry also reminded me of Hannibal Lector, minus the fava beans and a good bottle of Chianti.

Susan Toone lives with her husband, two teenagers and two dogs in Little Rock. The husband and dogs are great; the teenagers are driving her crazy. She works at Acxiom and has a blog.


Editor's Note: Next, read more about Harry the Praying Mantis!

Scorpions glow!

Did you know that scorpions glow under ultraviolet light? 
Every Saturday and Sunday through January 9, 2011 visit the 'Harry's Big Adventure Bug Petting Zoo' on the upper level of the Museum of Discovery. (Also visit the Museum of Discovery's permanent bug collection on the lower level.)

"Cuddles" the Scorpion wants to meet you!

Many other hands-on experiences are part of the exhibit

 (and included in your museum admission)

Thanks to our local sponsor

Why do 'hissing cockroches' hiss?

Jayme from the Audubon Insectarium explains why (and how) "hissing cockroaches" make the sounds they do. 
Every Saturday and Sunday through January 9, 2011 visit the 'Harry's Big Adventure Bug Petting Zoo' on the upper level of the Museum of Discovery. (Also visit the Museum of Discovery's permanent bug collection on the lower level.)

Many other hands-on experiences are part of the exhibit

 (and included in your museum admission)

Thanks to our local sponsor

Harry behind the scenes

WHEW!  After 5 days of setup, the exhibit is open! 

Many thanks to the folks at Terminix and Clarkworks

for their wonderful work.



The "Zoom Room"



Connecting the water tubes in the water habitat.

Ernest from Clarkworks introduces Cuddles the Scorpion

The floor plan. 

Harry, uncrated.



Come see Harry and his friends. Every weekend, we'll have extra special activities such as the Bug Chef, Bug Handlers, Cricket Spitting Contests, and Roach Races! Thanks to our local sponsor:

Jayme the Bug Chef

Chef Jayme from the Audubon Insectarium

in New Orleans explains what's on the menu.

"Buzz in" to the Museum of Discovery see him

Saturday 9/18/10 9am-5pm and Sunday 9/19/10 1-5pm!

Jayme and his culinary creations are part of the exhibit (and included in your museum admission)

Thanks to our local sponsor

Meet Harry!

Hi! I’m Harry, a Chinese praying mantis from Memphis, Tenn. I’m really pumped, because Terminix is bringing my friends and me to the Museum of Discovery. We’ll roll into town on Saturday, Sept. 18, and we’ll be there for almost four months, hanging out with visitors from Little Rock and around the country. I can’t wait to see the museum and see all of the other exhibits, but I’m most looking forward to making new friends!

I’ll even be bringing my own exhibit with me. It’s called Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! It’s a fun, interactive exhibit that will give you a bug’s eye view of the world. Every weekend, you’ll even get a chance to touch bugs at our insect petting zoo and taste bugs that are prepared by our renowned bug chef.

A praying mantis like myself likes to travel incognito, and sometimes I hide so I can blend in with the scenery. But if you’re at the museum I promise to come out and play, so stop by and say “hi” sometime after the 18th.

If you’d like to find out what I’m doing during my stay in Little Rock, visit my blog. I check in there every couple of weeks to let my friends know what’s going on in my life, and I’ll be back on there regularly after I complete my move to Little Rock, so check it out!

ABOUT HARRY:
Harry is a Chinese Praying Mantis who hails from Memphis, Tennessee, although his ancestors are Chinese. He likes eating, traveling, eating, hanging out with friends and sometimes, eating. He turns up his nose at opera, rampaging rhinos and an annoying little fish named Coy Koi. Harry is a Southern-fried fanatic and loves to eat anything fit for The King (Elvis, that is) like jelly donuts, biscuits, bacon, grits, gravy, Gus’s Fried Chicken, Soul Burgers, sausage, ice cream, pancakes and deep-fried Twinkies. His biggest dream is to visit every single state in America and blog about it. You can read more about Harry (and his friends) here.

We're about to be invaded...

From September 18 through January 9, 2011, the Museum of Discovery hosts Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! presented by Terminix.

The exhibit is great for ALL ages, even adults! 

Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! is "hosted" by Harry, a Chinese praying mantis, and his insect friends. It features live bugs, video, audio, games and more.

You'll get to explore freestanding habitats like a cropland, forest, meadow, swamp and even a house to see how insects and arthropods impact their surroundings, the environment and ultimately human lives.

Every Saturday and Sunday of the exhibit, we will have special programming which includes a live insect petting zoo, cricket spitting competitions, roach races and a bug chef making tummy-tickling treats with bugs as the main ingredients.

What do you think about bugs?