Leech bites and allergic reactions

[slipped disc]

AHHHH, ticks, leeches rare here in sth oz. all good. unless you count politicians .

 

[casper]

AHHHH, ticks, leeches rare here in sth oz. all good. unless you count politicians .

NQR, anywhere that's dark and damp can potentially have a colony of leeches and Victoria has it's share like Greens Bush on the Mornington Peninsula 1 hour south of Melbourne which is in my backyard.

casper

 

[casper]

A couple of years ago I was up the top end of Big River busting for a crap and was hanging on so long I was getting the shakes, decided I had to go now or crap me daks so ran off behind some bushes beside a small creek in the shade and just as I dropped my daks and started to squat I noticed the ground was moving, literally moving with thousands of small leeches, WTF, so the daks came back up and I ran as fast as I could and headed for a sunnier spot about 40 meters away, it was the fastest dump I'd ever taken then spent the next 20 mins at the car checking for leeches, never seen it before and hope to never see it again.
In all my years of fishing I'd never really given them much thought up until then............yuk :|

thanks for the larf........... and I love you signature line

casper

 

[nuggetino]

haha I'm loving these stories. Ticks on foreheads and taking a dump on leach infested ground. Gotta love the great outdoors Speaking of leaches there's also some little black worms found in freshwater rock pools of the NT. Will latch on and suck your blood. I know they're not leaches but couldn't specify what they're called. They look like miniature sea lampreys? Jumped in a rock pool somewhere near litchfield national park which looked to have a black floor. On splashing into the water I managed to stir up millions of these little worms which latched on all over my body. Spent the next 20 mins picking them off my skin. Good times

 

[Goldtarget]

There's a couple spots here in vic you get tiny ones. I thought the first time I got one attached it was to small but the classic leech itch ensued for the next couple of days. The wouldn't be more than a centimetre long couple mm girth but prolific and aggressive. No wading in they could embed anywhere. There's just some places a leech (or anything for that matter) shouldn't go.

 

[Tathradj]

Yep,
The "Tackle Box" area is def. a no go zone.

 

[Goldpick]

I was camping down on the Glenelg river near Nelson in Vic, when I had a persitant itch on my back. I got friend to have a look, and there was a bloated leach sucking the life out of me, and he had a great deal of trouble removing it. I asked him to grab salt container (large Saxa salt container), to pour a little on it to release its grip. Instead he poured the whole contents of the container down my back and ass crack, needless to say, the leach was no where to be found, it probably exploded!

 

[casper]

There's a couple spots here in vic you get tiny ones. I thought the first time I got one attached it was to small but the classic leech itch ensued for the next couple of days. The wouldn't be more than a centimetre long couple mm girth but prolific and aggressive. No wading in they could embed anywhere. There's just some places a leech (or anything for that matter) shouldn't go.

to quote a previous poster on a similar topic ages ago "condoms! .......you'll work it out"

 

[XIV]

Bushman spray,
spray to clothing and body, keeps them off

On another note copious amounts of garlic works well at things that bite, also keeps the wife away

 

[MJB]

I was camping down on the Glenelg river near Nelson in Vic, when I had a persitant itch on my back. I got friend to have a look, and there was a bloated leach sucking the life out of me, and he had a great deal of trouble removing it. I asked him to grab salt container (large Saxa salt container), to pour a little on it to release its grip. Instead he poured the whole contents of the container down my back and ass crack, needless to say, the leach was no where to be found, it probably exploded!

They can be pretty thick down here Goldpick, I have sat there enjoying a break when the ground started to move towards me
Horrible tiger striped things they were too :|

 

[Guest]

Life savers wear pantihoes to stop bluebottle stings ect... I wonder if they will stop leaches in their tracks???

I've had leeches makes holes in my thick winter socks to get to my skin so the stockings won't work LOL 8)

 

[Guest]

Bushman spray,
spray to clothing and body, keeps them off

On another note copious amounts of garlic works well at things that bite, also keeps the wife away

Spraying Bushman on your skin effects the human body too...... It actually gives me headaches........

 

[nuggetino]

An interesting historical fact is Felton Grimwade once traded in leeches in the 1870s and 1880s. Aborigines caught leeches in the swamps around Echuca which were then sent to the companys specially built aquarium in Melbourne. The leeches were transported by passenger ships to England, France and America for medical use. Apparently passengers complained about leeches escaping and attaching themselves to ladies in their cabins.

 

[Goldtarget]

I'll kick this off by saying I have noticed myself getting increasingly more reactive every time I get bitten to the point I really can't afford to get bitten again. I've spent alot of time in creeks and I don't ever remember as a kid having a reaction. The last 5 days I've had a pretty intense swelling and wrath of God itchiness. I finally went to the medicos and sort some info.

Turns out leeches can inject a histamine during attachment, and is likely the cause of my reaction. I still have lesser itchiness but swelling has gone. Like successive bee bites some people display a reaction. Up until this point I have found applying unmodified honey to the site has a wonderful ability to heal the site. Reading up some repellents can lessen the frequency of getting bitten and allowing them to finish feeding can reduce symptoms.

I'm sure there are others out there similarly afflicted and invite any input you guys have in combating the dreaded devils, I'm sure it will be helpful.

 

[Beagleboy]

Mate you must be pretty unlucky to get bitten so often. I have not been bitten although I see leaches in the bush all the time. Looks like you have developed some kind of allergy to them.

 

[casper]

This year I've had one bite in the web between my left index finger and ring finger that refused to heal for 2 weeks and all because on the day I foolishly thought I could cope with the biting March flies (easy to swat and good sport in the bargain!) but I forgot about the leeches ......

this stuff works....
casper

 

[Metamorphic]

That dam at Whroo is full of the buggers.

In the golfields, its the dams that they live in.

I reckon i have broken the world record for dam entry/exit when placing the suction hose bucket for the highbanker.

A bit of salt or the heat from a lit smoke does the trick and they will drop off.
Dont pull em off, leaves the head under your skin and thats when you have drama's.

Cheers

 

[casper]

That dam at Whroo is full of the buggers.

In the golfields, its the dams that they live in.

I reckon i have broken the world record for dam entry/exit when placing the suction hose bucket for the highbanker.

A bit of salt or the heat from a lit smoke does the trick and they will drop off.
Dont pull em off, leaves the head under your skin and thats when you have drama's.

Cheers

Thanks, brilliant advice! - I'm carrying a salt shaker with me from here on.

casper

 

[Beagleboy]

I use this product and it's brilliant.

http://www.naturesbotanical.biz/products.html

 

[casper]

oooh! Milan - so that's your secret, that's why your skin is so lovely oop's so fresh and manly looking ....

casper