Leeches

[lovesbushwalking]

Hi

I recently did a trek through the Walls of Jerusalem and Cradle Mountain National Parks. Crossing over from the Walls to Cradle Mountain NP through Lees Paddock track it rained and rained and then rained some more for good measure. This brought out the leeches in numbers I had never thought possible in my wildest nightmares. The ground and my legs were crawling with the little devil-incarnates. What I have been trying to find out since, is why are there so many leeches in Tasmania? What is it about the climate/habitat that suits them so well?

[Drifting]

it's the ready availability of bushwakers

[tasadam]

There are some areas in Tassie that you come across where the numbers are higher, like plague.
Don't know why tho, assuming the wildlife like wombats etc gave them a good feed so they bred in those areas well...

[juju]

I've tried this and it works. As soon as they come off, if they look like causing a maddening itch, toothpaste rubbed in stops it. Menthol I suppose.
I've found I can 'roll them and flick them away quite well after picking my nose or sticking my finger in my ear (using the same finger...)
My son (who was 6 months once) was foraging on the front lawn during a particularly wet season and started crying. I ran out from the kitchen where I'd been keeping an eye on him and for the life of me couldn't see what was wrong. On checking his mouth I found a leach on the roof (of his mouth). I must admit I had to control my laughter before I rubbed it easily off and threw it away - no, I hadn't picked my nose or ear first!

[north-north-west]

What I have been trying to find out since, is why are there so many leeches in Tasmania? What is it about the climate/habitat that suits them so well?

Mud. It's not just wet there, but very, very muddy in places. They like still water and lots of gloopy mud and/or decaying vegetable matter in which to lurk.
Also, Tasmanians are very tasty. Must be something in the water . . .

[Andrew P]

I am not alone on this, have a read here - http://members.pcug.org.au/~apurdam/Tassy2003/day5.html

My report is now being relocated to http://bushwalkingtreasurebox.blogspot. ... -2003.html
Hmm. That's the Western Arthurs walk. In a week or so, I'll get back to you with the Frenchman's Cap leg of this trip, too.

[Greenie]

At least the Leeches downunder don't have teeth I suppose.. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... -orifices/

[north-north-west]

Well, corby, you'll be happy to know that on Saturday, I finally got leeched.
Little blighter must have hitched a ride when I stopped for water at king River headwaters, then slowly oozed its way under the gaiter, down the pant leg and up and over the sock. Didn't realise it was there until undressing for the night, when I found a large bloodstain on the pant leg and sock, and a small hole on the front of my shin. And then noticed a bloated black beastie drunkenly trying to move in the general direction of away . . . I don't think it liked Mt Buggery.
Then on Sunday, I got stung on the same leg, but on the back this time, by a European Wasp.

It's all dreadfully awkward, because I'm still carrying an injury to the other leg that I picked up at work, and am having a devilish time trying to decide which leg to limp on . . . But at least the swelling is no longer lopsided.

[corvus]

Scavy,
Did you not accept the proven leech repellent as suggested (will also repel wasps) Deet , well as my old Granny often said "hell slap it into you "
European Wasps are a problem and must be treated with care ,annoy one and it will send out a pheromone to it's brood to come help I am in trouble ,best cure I have found for solo ones round home if you are game is to give it the "clap" that is wait till one is within grasp then clap your hands on it hard then crush it underfoot works every time for me.
Hope you leg gets well as I am suffering a multiple annoyance on my left foot, Heel-spur,Gout,Torn Ligament plus getting old
Long time dead but eh!!
corvus

[north-north-west]

I think the 'getting old' part is the biggest problem.
Gout? That's all the booze and fancy food finally catching up to you. Serves you right.

I wasn't even thinking about about leeches - there were two damp gullies on the whole 35km walk, I just happened to get careless in one at the wrong time. Maybe the change of life has altered my blood chemistry enough that the sods now find me attractive. Or maybe it's just that very few people go down that route, and it was desperate.
I think it regretted the decision in the end. It came off worse than me, anyway.
As for the wasp, the buggers are taking over the Australian Alps the last five years or so. They usually just come and have a sniff and go away, but this one got in the car and objected to all the leg activity while I was driving out. At least I'm not allergic to 'em.

[simmo]

The good old leech i have been lucky i suppose as i have only been got 4 or 5 times by these lovely
little blood suckers. the worst one i ever had was at a walk through to Black Bluff via winterbrook falls .
where i stopped for lunch and found my right boot was full of blood you would have thought i had cut my foot off.
cheers Simmo

[corvus]

The good old leech i have been lucky i suppose as i have only been got 4 or 5 times by these lovely
little blood suckers. the worst one i ever had was at a walk through to Black Bluff via winterbrook falls .
where i stopped for lunch and found my right boot was full of blood you would have thought i had cut my foot off.
cheers Simmo

Means you have not been out there enough
corvus

[simmo]

true statement corvus but im planing more walks as its a bit rought for kayaking at the moment
Cheers Simmo

[geoskid]

I think the 'getting old' part is the biggest problem.
Gout? That's all the booze and fancy food finally catching up to you. Serves you right.

Haha - No point getting to the end with everything in perfect working order - just means one didn't go hard enough.
I'm actually coming around to the idea of reverse mortgages - you know, leave no trace. No, could'nt do that to my boys-I could'nt live with myself after that.
Geez, must be bed time

[tasadam]

I am not alone on this, have a read here - http://members.pcug.org.au/~apurdam/Tassy2003/day5.html

My report is now being relocated to http://bushwalkingtreasurebox.blogspot. ... -2003.html
Hmm. That's the Western Arthurs walk. In a week or so, I'll get back to you with the Frenchman's Cap leg of this trip, too.

I see Andrew has updated his new site -
http://bushwalkingtreasurebox.blogspot. ... day-5.html

It was whilst we were scouting (ultimately unsuccessfully) for good camping sites that we realised Mary Creek's other great minus - a secret hidden amongst the grass. It was crawling with leeches. The combination of the weather and leeches made this stopover particularly unpleasant, and there was little else to do other than hastily erect our tents, dive in them and spend the rest of the day finding leeches on our clothes and removing them into the fly of the tents!

Déjà vu

[Andrew P]

Slightly more general link for our Frenchman's Cap trip at http://bushwalkingtreasurebox.blogspot. ... -2003.html

[tomh]

For leeches I wear a pair of high-denier knee-highs under my socks; they are available from womens hosiery at Myers, Target or D.J.'s (got mine from Target)
It works. The leeches (especially when small) can get through the big weave of hiking socks but not the close weave of the knee-highs.
You could of course also wear high denier pantyhose

Tom

antileech.jpg (5.9 KiB) Viewed 27391 times

[Cocksy_86]

What colour works best? Nude or Black?

[Cocksy_86]

I picked up these Anti Leech Socks from Mosquito Hammock.

http://www.mosquitohammock.com/AntiLeechSocks.html

Ready yourself for fashion montage...

Attachments

[Macca81]

iv seen what leeches can get into... i dont think that will do more than just slow them down


mind you, for some people, slowing them down is likely to be an awesome feat! lol

[corvus]

You dont just get Leeches on your lower legs as I think has been mentioned on this forum in the past and 80% Deet is still the best deterrent IMHO
corvus

[Cocksy_86]

Yeh, I had one drop from a tree and land on my neck. I didn't know until I got back to the car. Blood was everywhere. I looked pretty tough though.

[Marwood]

I also copped a leech on the neck a few weeks ago while out mountain biking. It tried to attach on my lip first, and not realizing what it was and thinking it was just a blob of mud, I just brushed it off. It then landed on my neck where it stuck its fangs in. I've never really felt leeches attached to my lower legs, only ever found the blood-y mess after the fact when I took off my gaiters and socks. But this leech attached to my neck itched, so I scratched it off thinking it was an insect biting. Then I finally realized I'd been leeched from the mess of blood. Not sure how it got on me in the first place, but I think it might've flicked up off of the front tyre.

BTW, I recently saw some info about Citridiol (lemon eucalyptus) based insect repellents as an effective alternative to DEET. According to the product blurbs citridiol isn't an environmental hazard and doesn't damage gear. Since the products don't seem to be that that readily available here at the moment (apart from http://www.mosi-guard.com), I haven't tried them yet. Anyone have any experience with the effectiveness of citridiol as a leech repellent?

[north-north-west]

The only truly effective leech deterrent is a boot. Firmly applied.

[corvus]

The only truly effective leech deterrent is a boot. Firmly applied.

Only if you see them first and they are on a solid surface

[Bill P]

Hi fellow red blooded adventurers.

I find leeches are quite heat sensitive:

The first walker through in the party wakes them up.
The second in the group gets their taste buds going.
And the third, for gawds sake don't be the third! The medieval things by then are fully salivating, heads nodding around hunting for YOUR flesh. Gotcha!

Go first, go fast.

Bill P

[north-north-west]

That's the best bit about walking alone. As long as you don't stop moving.

But if you're last in the line of a large enough group, maybe they're all satiated by the time you reach them.
Although you'd have to have an army in front of you to get across St Mary's Plains unmolested . . .

[vagrom]

There's a movie showing here now called Dracula Sucks.
I'm going through old Wilds and AG's at the moment and two recommended leech recipes are Vegemite, for getting them off, in lieu of salt I guess and Talcum powder applied beforehand to keep them from attacking.But in a wet place like Tassie, that'll be of limited use and come to think of it, they're rarely found in the desert.
I've found Bushmans cream from the tube, the "full strength" stuff, always turns 'em around in their tracks,(if it doesn't kill you first).

[crockle]

two recommended leech recipes are....

Just 2 minutes ago, seen on 'Heston's Feast' on SBS TV: - Heston Blumenthal takes a number of leeches, allows them to gorge on a sausage of goose blood immersed in liquid until 4 or 5 times their size - and then frys them up and eats them.
Or at least eats one .
Whilst not repulsed, he was unimpressed with the taste, describing it as "goose blood, enclosed in a thin casing of leech"

He goes on to make various other blood-based dishes with a vampiric theme.

[Liamy77]

one thing in favor of WA.... never seen one leech in 7 years here now! he he (gloat)
dare to click here?!