Everything You Wanted to Know About Leeches

Leeches are best known for being a blood-sucking organism. They resemble worms and can be found in temperate and tropical zones. Unless you’re at an old-fashioned doctor’s office, you probably won’t find leeches in the wild unless you enter water or a waterside environment. Leeches generally live in swamps, marshes, bogs, or tropical vegetation. Water animals may also carry leeches. Leeches love to wiggle in small spaces, so keep your pants tucked into your shoes or boots. Insect repellant is also helpful. Leech bites do not hurt because their saliva acts like an anesthetic when they bite into your skin.

What to Do About Them

Well, if you’ve got a strong stomach, you can wait until the leech has had its fill of your blood– it will then drop off by itself. If not, look for the small end of the leech. That’s where the mouth is. Take your finger and slide it towards the wound. You can use your fingernail to push the mouth sideways. Once you’ve detached the mouth, you have to quickly detach the rear end of the leech. Try flicking it with your finger. The leech will be trying to reattach itself while you do this. Clean the wound and expect it to be itchy while the wound heals.

Here’s What You Shouldn’t Do

Do not pull the leech. Don’t salt it or use chemicals. Don’t burn it. Basically, you need to remove the leech firmly and gently. Do NOT resort to any of these harsh methods because the leech may regurgitate into the wound. This will make the wound much worse and will cause an infection much worse than the original leech bite.