LEECHES AND GOLD DETECTING...

Hi Guys, I have been attacked by these little blood suckers detecting around where I live. Is there a spray or cream that I can use to deter these blood suckers from climbing up my boots and onto my skin ? The scar they leave stays very itchy for about 2-3 weeks depending on how big that leech was. When you stop to dig a target and it's during this time that they climb onto you, I had 6-7 at one time on me about 4 weeks ago and had to pick them off with my fingers.
Any help here would be great,

uncle bob

I always wear gaiters & have never had a problem in areas where i know there are leeches.
Maybe they just like your blood - what percentage alcohol is it ?
Osama.

G.Day Uncle Bob.

I had the same problem during Hunting in the High country (Victoria).

A very effective tip given to me by a regular hunter in the area was to smear a heavy band of "Vicks Vapour Rub" around the top 2" (50mm) of your boots.
I have tried this and it seemed to work as I had no problems next time out in the same area, could have had some effect as no leeches got to my legs although I got one on my upper arm from brushing through scrub.
As these little beggars are capable of taking "short cuts", try long pants and a pair of Ex Army short pattern gaitors.

Seasons Greetings to All subscribers

Cranky

Hi cranky, the vicks sound like a really good idea and i reakon I will give that a go [vicks does heat up so probaly burn them if they got on], thanks. Bin looking, I have got gaitors but they seem to get into the shoe lace holes, so the Vicks is on my list next when shopping.
thanks,
uncle bob.

Dettol on your socks just above your boots and no more leaches. Even stopped a lot of the scrub itch mites.

That is all that we used in the wet scrub in NQ.

Ron

Turon "Tiger Leeches" from NSW

I ALWAYS spray the bottom of my jeans with Bushman's Friend (contains Deet) before detecting to deter rogue ants but I've never had a leech on me until I waded near a submerged log on the Turon at Green Point a few years ago. It swam up my jeans and tried to bite into the calf of my leg to latch on. Quite a sharp sting. I lifted my leg enough to see what it was, backed away in a panic and came extremely close to stepping on a Red Bellied black snake on the far side of the river as I backed out of it. I've also stepped into a creek and watched the leeches swimming upstream to get to me. Horrible creatures.

You can buy Endemic Leech Proof Socks online which are essentially long, fine meshed socks that appear to be impervious to leeches.


According to several specialists, leeches have limited vision but can track a moving shape. They are attracted to heat, vibration, movement and the carbon dioxide from your breath. They sometimes sit in trees waiting for birds and possums and will drop onto a person if they sense them below. Several people from Queensland claim that they have seen leeches on the ground swaying back and forth to detect them as they panned on the far side of a creek. They apparently crossed the creek en-masse to get to the prospectors... who beat a hasty retreat.

It can always get worse: Leeches love nothing more than to enter the nasal cavity and even rectum of a swimmer where they can survive for weeks feeding off the fluids within the safety of a cavity. I've seen photographs online of frozen Mallard ducks sawn in half by a vet, exposing a cluster of leeches behind the eyes and in the nasal cavity, deep inside the head.

I like the suggestion of the Vicks Vapor Rub. It would be an excellent deterrent I suspect.

For those of you wondering how big they can get, the ones in my hand (above pic) are as big as I've come across. They are called Tiger Leeches and are named, i suspect, for their stripes. The small "Brown Leech" is said to be painless when they bit but not so the Tiger Leech which can usually be felt. But overseas, they have the Giant Leech which is VERY large... see pic below. They grow to 18 inches long when stretched out. For comparison, the average human forearm is 9 inches long from wrist to elbow.

The thing that annoys me most about leeches is the prolonged bleeding after they are removed. I'm thinking a "styptic pencil" may be worth trying to stop the bleeding instantly. Has anyone tried this on a leech bite?

Byteman wrote:The thing that annoys me most about leeches is the prolonged bleeding after they are removed. I'm thinking a "styptic pencil" may be worth trying to stop the bleeding instantly. Has anyone tried this on a leech bite?

I've never heard of this. How does it work?

Also, can you buy anti-coagulant powder here?

The worst thing you can do with leeches is pull them off you.They posess anticoagulant that stops your blood clotting.When you pull them off you also leave their jaws imbedded in you.Jaws therefore anticoagulant.Result,bleeding like a stuck pig and that itch you speak of Bob.You only have to get heat close to them(your ciggy butt)and they will drop off like fairweather friends with no bleeding or itching.

A styptic-pencil is just anti-coagulant powder in a solid stick form. It's quite amazing how quickly they stop bleeding of cuts and grazes.

I ALWAYS without fail have salt in my glovebox for these sort of times. No, i dont eat my leeches after salting them, lol. But i do have a gauze in my first aid kit that clots blood. Forgot the name off the top of my head. Luckily for me i havent had a leech on me for quite a few years now. I think they only want to attack me when they know im not prepared, lol. Its a bit like the posts on snake dances and ant dances... im sure a lot of us have leech dances too hehehe.

Hi Tunnel Rat, I will be using the vicks as it's cheap and if I do get one on next time will try what you said about using a match to burn them off.Nero, with the tiger leeches i think they are the ones that make you itch the longestas their mark is bigger. When I get bitten by the leeches I just let it bleed until it stops or if it's really bad use a couple of tissues and press on the bite until it stops.
uncle bob

While camping in the Glouster Tops,some mates and I experimented with leech execution.The thing that made them shrivel up the fastest was a drop of whiskey! Makes you wonder what it does to our own mucous membranes.One of my skinny white boy mates who is married to a lovely black South African girl came back one evening with a great tale.The pair had wandered some wet tracks when she complained of an irritation which only a husband can investigate.She was in the pants-down position on a picnic table and he was trying to assist with the leech removal...Round the corner came a big family bush walking group.Priceless!
Cheers..Dave

OHHH blueyonder!!! what a story!!! i luv it!! ha haha! my missus dint laugh though !!

gee even a prude like myself thought that was funny

carry a small container of salt or get a dettol and salt mix happening with a few drops of deep heat gel for good measure. Or tea tree oil.

The more i think about it your all a pack of whinging whining girlies. A few leeches and ticks and snake and spider bites in my day use to turn u into a MAN!!!!!!!! Pussies.

God i miss the good old days.

explorer wrote:carry a small container of salt or get a dettol and salt mix happening with a few drops of deep heat gel for good measure. Or tea tree oil.

I've had a Leech on my nuts before...I've also had deep heat on my nuts before

I'd much rather the Leech!

"I've had a Leech on my nuts before"

Tuna that sounds interesting!
On a scale of 1 to 10 how high would you rate the experience?
How many times have you tried this?