There’s a new type of pet in town…………
…………..a rather unusual one………..
…………...and who could it be other than…….
The Leech
That’s right, the unassuming leech. Those critters that you have often passed by, for being disgusting can be quite beautiful, and they’re extremely low-maintenance to keep as well.
Catching the leech
If you’re interested in keeping leeches, the first thing you might wonder is: well, how am I going to get one? You could just simply sit with your legs in the pond muck, but that takes a lot of patience, and not everyone is a fan of having a parasite attached to them. I have found an extremely effective way to make a leech trap, the first time testing it caught me 12!
All you’ve got to do is take an old coffee can, one of those metal ones, and use a hammer and nail to punch a few dozen holes in the bottom, so that the sharp parts are facing inwards. I then poked two holes in the lid of the coffee can, and attached a rope with a stake on the end so it won’t drift away.
To bait it, I use some scraps of raw sausage in the bottom and close the lid. I find the right location, usually in the really weedy and leaf-litter-covered muck in still waters, and fully submerge the can, making sure it fills with water. The hard part’s done now. it’s best to set it at night, and check it in the morning before it gets too light out.
Habitat
Unlike other critters that live in water, leeches require very little. In fact, filtration systems can actually bother them, or make them sick. You just have to make sure that the water you’re using has no chlorine in it, otherwise the leeches will vomit, and potentially die. As far as the container goes, you really can use just about any glass container with a tight-fitting lid, since they are extremely talented escape artists. The simplest is to use a 1 gallon mason jar with a scrap piece of T-shirt stretched over the top by a rubber band. You can definitely decorate it, and you can use any aquarium-safe decorations, along with sticks, rocks, and bones. They need something that sticks out of the water at least a little bit, so they can aerate.
Maintenance
Leech maintenance is extremely simple. You only need to clean their tank about every 2 weeks, and after you feed them. Just make sure that you keep the water temperatures fairly consistent, as to not shock them, and remember to either purify the water or use distilled water.
Diet
Now here’s the part that most people get nervous about: their diet. While yes, you can absolutely let them feed off of yourself, many leech owners opt to instead purchase gelled animal blood at an international market, but if you choose to do this, make sure that the only ingredient is blood, and maybe a small bit of salt. Anything else may harm your leeches. Just cut it up into small cubes and freeze what you’re not using. Just place a cube in the water, and let them wallow around in it for a while. Definitely clean the tank after. Leeches only need to be fed every few months, so you’ll be good for a long time. And if you want to feed them yourself, just set your arm in the tank and let them latch on. they will let go once they’re full. Just be warned that they have an anticoagulant in their spit, and the wounds will bleed for quite a while.
…………..a rather unusual one………..
…………...and who could it be other than…….
The Leech
That’s right, the unassuming leech. Those critters that you have often passed by, for being disgusting can be quite beautiful, and they’re extremely low-maintenance to keep as well.
Catching the leech
If you’re interested in keeping leeches, the first thing you might wonder is: well, how am I going to get one? You could just simply sit with your legs in the pond muck, but that takes a lot of patience, and not everyone is a fan of having a parasite attached to them. I have found an extremely effective way to make a leech trap, the first time testing it caught me 12!
All you’ve got to do is take an old coffee can, one of those metal ones, and use a hammer and nail to punch a few dozen holes in the bottom, so that the sharp parts are facing inwards. I then poked two holes in the lid of the coffee can, and attached a rope with a stake on the end so it won’t drift away.
To bait it, I use some scraps of raw sausage in the bottom and close the lid. I find the right location, usually in the really weedy and leaf-litter-covered muck in still waters, and fully submerge the can, making sure it fills with water. The hard part’s done now. it’s best to set it at night, and check it in the morning before it gets too light out.
Habitat
Unlike other critters that live in water, leeches require very little. In fact, filtration systems can actually bother them, or make them sick. You just have to make sure that the water you’re using has no chlorine in it, otherwise the leeches will vomit, and potentially die. As far as the container goes, you really can use just about any glass container with a tight-fitting lid, since they are extremely talented escape artists. The simplest is to use a 1 gallon mason jar with a scrap piece of T-shirt stretched over the top by a rubber band. You can definitely decorate it, and you can use any aquarium-safe decorations, along with sticks, rocks, and bones. They need something that sticks out of the water at least a little bit, so they can aerate.
Maintenance
Leech maintenance is extremely simple. You only need to clean their tank about every 2 weeks, and after you feed them. Just make sure that you keep the water temperatures fairly consistent, as to not shock them, and remember to either purify the water or use distilled water.
Diet
Now here’s the part that most people get nervous about: their diet. While yes, you can absolutely let them feed off of yourself, many leech owners opt to instead purchase gelled animal blood at an international market, but if you choose to do this, make sure that the only ingredient is blood, and maybe a small bit of salt. Anything else may harm your leeches. Just cut it up into small cubes and freeze what you’re not using. Just place a cube in the water, and let them wallow around in it for a while. Definitely clean the tank after. Leeches only need to be fed every few months, so you’ll be good for a long time. And if you want to feed them yourself, just set your arm in the tank and let them latch on. they will let go once they’re full. Just be warned that they have an anticoagulant in their spit, and the wounds will bleed for quite a while.
