Where are all the leaches?

[limbs]

There used to be a place here where you were sure to get leaches if you went in. The strange thing is that you can go in all you want now and never get leaches. What happened to all the leaches? It makes me wonder if this could mean there is a contaminant in the water that could have killed them.

 

[ChadTower]

Or an invasive fish that is keeping the leech population low.

 

[sailorman]

The PH of the water could be high enough that they do not want to live there. Leaches will try to stay away from all acidic water sources.

 

[Hyde]

Consider yourself lucky, did you know that a leaches could kill you if you did not remove them? Also, I didn't know that fish ate leaches. What sort of fish might do that?

 

[SweetSassyLady]

I hate those slimy things. It's a good thing I didn't swim there. I would have screamed my head off. It's a good thing that they have gone.

 

[campclose]

What are you trying to catch leaches for? I think they are pretty gross too and I'm glad that I don't see them when I jump in the cricks around here. We still do a leach check when we all get out of the water.

 

[ChadTower]

Consider yourself lucky, did you know that a leaches could kill you if you did not remove them?

How many leeches are we talking about here? 250?

 

[Grandpa]

Consider yourself lucky, did you know that a leaches could kill you if you did not remove them? Also, I didn't know that fish ate leaches. What sort of fish might do that?

Leaches will fall off on their own after their appetite is sated, usually 20 minutes to 1 hr. (so I read, never studied them myself) but they can carry HIV and Heptatitus B, at least those diseases have been found in them in Africa. Other than as a carrier of secondary diseases, I didn't read anything about long term danger.

Maybe as Chad said, if a bunch latch on it might be fatal.

 

[ChadTower]

I've had enough leeches on me that I don't want to think about how many. Not dead yet.

It's the leeches on my wallet that get to me!

 

[oldsarge]

Maybe it was these!

Attack of the Giant Leeches - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Judy Ann]

Leaches are used frequently in certain plastic surgery cases. As Grandpa mentioned, they let go once they have had their fill. We keep count of them in the hospital and my biggest fear is stepping on a full one...too gross.

I haven't seen one in a long time out in the wild, but I still check for them when getting out of the water.

 

[wvbreamfisherman]

Check out Bogart's encounter with leeches in "The African Queen", or Willian Holden's encounter in "The Bridge Over the River Kwai". Classic cinema!

Oh, and pH works out so that more acid = lower pH (down to 0) and more alkaline= higher pH (up to 14). Pure distilled water has a pH of 7