One day before Valentine’s Day, the Bohart Museum of Entomology plans a special Saturday program with them theme “What Is a Kissing Bug?”

The Feb. 13 program is the first in a series of weekend openings. Admission is free to the museum that holds more than 7 million insect specimens.

The other weekend openings are scheduled as follows: March 21, April 17 and May 8.

“The weekend openings are in response to working people and parents who can’t visit us during the week,” said Tabatha Yang, the Bohart's education and outreach coordinator.

“For these events we'll be highlighting some of the animals at the Bohart which get overlooked,” Yang said. “On Feb. 13, we’ll let the kissing bugs have their 15 minutes of fame.”

Dedicated to teaching, research and service, the museum houses the seventh largest insect collection in North America. The museum’s “petting zoo” includes live insects such as Madagascar hissing cockroaches, tiger hissing cockroaches (also from Madagascar), mantids, and assorted walking sticks and walking leaves.

The museum’s other weekend openings also are keyed to special days:

• Sunday, March 21, four days after St. Patrick’s Day—“What Has Six Legs and Is Green All Over?” Hours: 1 to 5 p.m.

• Saturday, April 17, Picnic Day—Open all day.

• Saturday, May 8, the day before Mothers Day—With a moth theme: “Moth-ers Day.” Hours: 1 to 5 p.m.

The Bohart Museum of Entomology is in 1124 Academic Surge. The museum's regular hours are 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Group tours are available, but arrangements must be made in advance and tours cannot take place on the weekends, Yang said. To set something up, contact her by phone, (530) 752-0493 or (530) 752-9464, or e-mail, tabyang@ucdavis.edu.