trapping leeches

[pj4]

i interested in trapping leeches, any buddy have info on how, where, when?

[Gissert]

It is best done in the spring.

We used to take a three pound coffee can and fill half full with meat scraps. Smash the can opening down to about a half inch opening to keep the meat in and the turtles out. Tie a cord to the can and throw it out into the slough that you have chosen.

Check the trap the next morning, preferable before sunup. If your pond has leeches, they should be there.

[Ranckenstuff]

How do you choose the type of water that will hold leeches. Any pond? Small Lake? Im in St. Paul. good idea for next year. Are they usually small? How do you get the jumbos?

[Gissert]

Likely leech ponds will be the kind that do not sustain fish populations. Some are better than others.

The leeches will come in all sizes. It helps to have seperate containers to sort them in as you take them out of the trap.

Again, my best catches would be in early spring, and tail off toward mid-June.

[Ranckenstuff]

Cool thanks for the input, definitely worth trying next spring. Any other easy methods of trapping?

[Craig_S]

We used to use an old metal minnow bucket - the kind with a hinged lid and a million holes in the side. Just put in a pike carcass and check in the morning. Apparently, the leeches go in through the holes, but don't go out. Sometimes we'd get 4-5 dozen in one minnow bucket.

Craig

[pj4]

thanks for the great ideas, plan to try next spring. what do u feed them during the summer, dead minnows?

[can it be luck?]

Laying in a muddy pond for an hour hour two will probably catch you some leeches. Have your friends pluck them off with salt, tweezers, and hot match heads! As far as feeding them? Stick your arm in the pail until your skin turns slightly ashen and your eyes start to cross. This also has some medicinal value...according to Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber!

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[This message has been edited by can it be luck? (edited 10-01-2003).]