Medical leeches are a very peculiar remedy. Him therapeutic effect arises as a result of the subtle, coordinated and fast work of the whole complex of organs of this complex animal. And that's why it's important proper care for leeches so that they can help and that they are available enough for everyday use in medical institutions and in every family where there are sick people who need them.
For the conservation of leeches, it is important that the artificially created conditions for their life correspond as closely as possible to natural ones. The content of leeches is indoors - in small containers - or in swamps, ponds and artificial planters in biological factories, where they are delivered for reproduction, caught in swamps, but better - living in fast and flowing waters. From the very beginning, the success of keeping leeches in room conditions depends on the dishes used to store them. Its various types are possible: glass (large and small jars), clay (jars, pots, large and small jugs). In the last century, even wooden utensils were used.
Judging by such a variety of containers for keeping leeches, the methods of this maintenance and storage for medicinal purposes should also be different. But now it is put like this (judging by the available literature on hirudology), as the proverb says: "What is a city, then a burrow, what a village, then a belief." So we decided to bring everything to a common denominator. Doctors and all people using leeches must clearly know and follow all the rules for the benefit of humans and the animals themselves that bring it. The content of leeches for medical use is not particularly difficult, they only need conscientious care and cleanliness.
In small containers (three-liter glass jar), half filled with water, you can not plant more than fifty animals and no more than ten in a liter. Rule of thumb to protect leeches from diseases - their good content, and in the case of a disease of a leech - to separate it from healthy ones, because one patient can infect all the leeches in the jar. Young and lively leeches of medium size should be allowed in one jar, and those that move sluggishly and slowly curl up into a ball should be kept in a separate one until they recover. Leeches, placed in large quantities in one vessel, produce a lot of feces in the first days, coloring the water in green color which is a sign of their healthy condition. The container where the leeches are stored should be half or 2/3 filled with separated (during the day) ordinary water (of course, it would be better to use river, lake or rain), but in no case boiled, not spring and not well - such the water contains lime particles, from which the leeches become restless, and then with a frenzy they rush at each other, injure one another, and, bleeding, die. AT the best option each leech should have between 40 and 120 cubic centimeters of water.
The guarantor of the health and constant activity of leeches is their neat and clean content. The water should be changed regularly, and the new water should not be lower than the temperature at which the leeches were the day before; in winter, this is done after seven days, in summer - twice a week, and in great heat every day and always when the water is green, the appearance of mucus with brown spots, floating from the skin of a leech. Changing water is always alarming for them, especially touching animals with their hands.
An ideal, but time-consuming method is to remove old water from a container with a sponge or, together with water, leeches can be carefully poured into a colander (attached to the wall can be left in a jar) and with settled water it is easy to wash the body of mucus, which, closing the respiratory holes, leads either to the disease of leeches, or to their death. You can also carefully transfer the leeches with a wooden spoon from the old container to a new one with clean water, where it is desirable to have some carefully washed sand, and to maintain water long time in a fresh state and to prevent its spoilage - do not a large number of well-calcined charcoal or animal charcoal (in this case, in the same water, without rotting, you can store a small number of leeches for a whole year, about twelve). Thanks to sand and coal, leeches have the ability to wash mucus off themselves, which is impossible in clean water. Some plants introduced into the container also have the same properties: water shamrock (Trifolium fibrinum), several stems of marsh horsetail (Equisetum polustre) bundled in bundles, containing silica compounds in abundance (in addition, leeches rub against hard stems and cleanse their skin well from mucus), water copra (Myriophyllum verticillatum), water cabbage (Potamogeton natans), floating duckweed (Lem-pa natans), etc.
It is a big mistake to add sugar, honey, molasses and other similar substances to the water where leeches are stored, as well as blood, for supposedly better nutrition animals, preventing their diseases and reducing mortality. The opposite is true: instead of benefit, they cause harm, because this leads to rotting of water, especially in summer time, and kills leeches. If dead animals are found in the jar, they should be removed immediately so that they do not spoil the water and do not infect healthy ones. Sick leeches are recognized by the fact that they lie stretched out at the bottom of the vessel and brownish mucus with white grains is visible near them. When taking them with your fingers, they shrink very little.
The jar should be rinsed well and in no case should synthetic chemicals be used to wash it. The neck of the jar must be covered with a layer of canvas and pressed, leveling, with an elastic band or a connected rubber tube. You can close it with a plastic lid, after piercing it with scissors in many places, mainly in the center, for air access, otherwise the leeches will suffocate. You can not tie a jar with gauze - they will gnaw through it and crawl away. It is necessary to keep the container in a cool room, where, if possible, the temperature is maintained within 12 ° C and not lower than 3 ° C, at which they are in danger of freezing. Leeches tolerate a slow transition from heat to cold and back more easily than a quick, sudden heat, and can withstand even 38 ° C heat and 6 ° C cold. It is noteworthy that young leeches endure elevated temperature better than the old ones, which, on the other hand, are not so sensitive to cold. In the hot summer season, the container must be kept in a cool place, taken out into the fresh air in the garden, vegetable garden, and in winter - kept in a warm room.
The indoor air must be clean, especially in winter time, do not have any odors, tobacco smoke. There should be no noise, for even the slightest sound can disturb the leeches and cause them to revive and slow contractions of the body; when repeated frequently, noises have a very unfavorable effect on hungry animals and contribute to their exhaustion.
To protect the leeches from strong light, it is better to darken the room or cover the jar with a light dark canvas, periodically removed, or you can paint over the lower part of it with black paint.
Leeches drunk with blood should never be introduced into a container where fresh leeches are stored, and also combined with those that are cleansed of blood.
Medical leeches are a very peculiar remedy. Its therapeutic effect arises as a result of the subtle, coordinated and rapid work of the whole complex of organs of this complex animal. And therefore, it is important to properly care for leeches so that they can help and that there are enough of them for everyday use in medical institutions and in every family where there are patients who need them.
For the conservation of leeches, it is important that the artificially created conditions for their life correspond as closely as possible to natural ones. The content of leeches is indoors - in small containers - or in swamps, ponds and artificial planters in biological factories, where they are delivered for reproduction, caught in swamps, but better - living in fast and flowing waters. From the very beginning, the success of keeping leeches in room conditions depends on the dishes used to store them. Its various types are possible: glass (large and small jars), clay (jars, pots, large and small jugs). In the last century, even wooden utensils were used.
Judging by such a variety of containers for keeping leeches, the methods of this maintenance and storage for medicinal purposes should also be different. But now it is put like this (judging by the available literature on hirudology), as the proverb says: "What is a city, then a burrow, what a village, then a belief." So we decided to bring everything to a common denominator. Doctors and all people using leeches must clearly know and follow all the rules for the benefit of humans and the animals themselves that bring it. The content of leeches for medical use is not particularly difficult, they only need conscientious care and cleanliness.
In small containers (three-liter glass jar), half filled with water, you can not plant more than fifty animals and no more than ten in a liter. The most important rule for protecting leeches from diseases is to keep them well, and in the case of a disease of a leech, separate it from healthy ones, because one patient can infect all the leeches in a jar. Young and lively leeches of medium size should be allowed in one jar, and those that move sluggishly and slowly curl up into a ball should be kept in a separate one until they recover. Leeches, placed in large numbers in one vessel, produce a lot of feces in the first days, coloring the water green, which is a sign of their healthy condition. The container where the leeches are stored should be half or 2/3 filled with settled (during the day) ordinary water (of course, it would be better to use river, lake or rain), but in no case boiled, not spring and not well - such the water contains lime particles, from which the leeches become restless, and then with a frenzy they rush at each other, injure one another, and, bleeding, die. Ideally, each leech should have between 40 and 120 cubic centimeters of water.
The guarantor of the health and constant activity of leeches is their neat and clean content. The water should be changed regularly, and the new water should not be lower than the temperature at which the leeches were the day before; in winter, this is done after seven days, in summer - twice a week, and in great heat every day and always when the water turns green, the appearance of mucus with brown spots, floating from the skin of a leech. Changing water is always alarming for them, especially touching animals with their hands.
An ideal, but time-consuming way is to remove old water from a container with a sponge or, together with water, leeches can be carefully poured into a colander (attached to the wall can be left in a jar) and with settled water it is easy to wash the body of mucus, which, closing the respiratory holes, leads either to the disease of leeches, or to their death. You can also carefully transfer the leeches with a wooden spoon from the old container to a new one with clean water, where it is desirable to have a little thoroughly washed sand, and to keep the water fresh for a long time and to prevent its deterioration, a small amount of well-calcined charcoal or animal charcoal (in this case, in the same water, without its decay, a small number of leeches, about twelve, can be stored for a whole year). Thanks to sand and coal, leeches have the ability to wash mucus off themselves, which is impossible in clean water. Some plants introduced into the container also have the same properties: water shamrock (Trifolium fibrinum), several stems of marsh horsetail (Equisetum polustre) bundled in bundles, containing silica compounds in abundance (in addition, leeches rub against hard stems and cleanse their skin well from mucus), water copra (Myriophyllum verticillatum), water cabbage (Potamogeton natans), floating duckweed (Lem-pa natans), etc.
It is a big mistake to add sugar, honey, molasses and other similar substances to the water where leeches are stored, as well as blood, in order to supposedly better feed animals, prevent their diseases and reduce mortality. The opposite is true: instead of benefit, they cause harm, because this leads to rotting of water, especially in summer, and destroys leeches. If dead animals are found in the jar, they should be removed immediately so that they do not spoil the water and do not infect healthy ones. Sick leeches are recognized by the fact that they lie stretched out at the bottom of the vessel and brownish mucus with white grains is visible near them. When taking them with your fingers, they shrink very little.
The jar should be rinsed well and in no case should synthetic chemicals be used to wash it. The neck of the jar must be covered with a layer of canvas and pressed, leveling, with an elastic band or a connected rubber tube. You can close it with a plastic lid, after piercing it with scissors in many places, mainly in the center, for air access, otherwise the leeches will suffocate. You can not tie a jar with gauze - they will gnaw through it and crawl away. It is necessary to keep the container in a cool room, where, if possible, the temperature is maintained within 12 ° C and not lower than 3 ° C, at which they are in danger of freezing. Leeches tolerate a slow transition from heat to cold and back more easily than a quick, sudden heat, and can withstand even 38 ° C heat and six ° C cold. It is noteworthy that young leeches endure elevated temperatures better than old ones, which, on the other hand, are not so sensitive to cold. In the hot summer season, the container must be kept in a cool place, taken out into the fresh air in the garden, vegetable garden, and in winter - kept in a warm room.
The indoor air must be clean, especially in winter, free from any odors or tobacco smoke. There should be no noise, for even the slightest sound can disturb the leeches and cause them to revive and slow contractions of the body; when repeated frequently, noises have a very unfavorable effect on hungry animals and contribute to their exhaustion.
To protect the leeches from strong light, it is better to darken the room or cover the jar with a light dark canvas, periodically removed, or you can paint over the lower part of it with black paint.
Leeches drunk with blood should never be introduced into a container where fresh leeches are stored, and also combined with those that are cleansed of blood.
Feeding leeches
Leeches feed liquid feed, and it is certain that more than the blood of animals must serve as food for them. Embryos in cocoons feed on the mucous membranes in them. organic matter, cubs and young leeches - mucus of aquatic plants, ciliates, larvae of aquatic insects, small mollusks, worms. A completely different matter is adult leeches. They feed on blood, being gifted with the ability to bite through the skin of a person in all places of the body, and even more so the mucous membrane, as well as the hard integuments of all kinds of animals. Leeches are so voracious that they can suck blood even when there is still a lot of undigested blood in their stomach. Hungry leeches lose a lot of weight, become skinny.
As numerous observations have proven, adult leeches are another kind of food. for the most part reject. However, nature has adapted them to the possibility of a long wait for suitable food. Being in clean water, they lose more than a quarter of their mass in a year of life. But they can't go their entire lives without food! And so leeches are content with at least a little: nutrients contained to a greater or lesser extent in fresh water. Hungry, with incredible greed they pounce on the first object they come across in the water, hoping to profit at least something, even rotten, carrion (they stick to corpses, but soon fall away from them) or stick to well-fed leeches with full stomach bags ( especially if full and hungry are in the same dish).
And this is despite the fact that the blood sucked by the leech in her body changes and takes on a special nasty smell that repels even hungry leeches. The blood squeezed out of the pumped leeches immediately can be absorbed again and harmlessly by others. Moreover, completely hungry leeches are forced to attack their own kind, and the weak become victims of the strong, and the saturated ones become hungry. Cannibalism is inherent in leeches, especially horse ones. Being hungry or insufficiently pumped, they pounce on larger animals, well drunk with blood, sucking it out of them, up to the death of the latter.
A medical leech can suck the blood of representatives of all classes of vertebrates, attacks a large cattle, horses coming to the watering place, and people. Having sucked a significant part of the blood of their victims, in many cases they can cause their death. Therefore, leeches are predators. At the beginning of the century, there were reports that nine hungry bloodsuckers were enough to bite a horse to death (perhaps this is an exaggeration). Fish and frogs are a secondary or, perhaps, a forced source of food for them, and reptiles play a completely insignificant role.
Wise nature, indulging leech gluttony, gave her wide spare gastric sacs as reservoirs, filling which, under favorable circumstances, she lives in peace. A well-satiated leech with unsqueezed blood needs at least six months to digest it. Of all leeches, the duration of the fasting period, which does not cause death, is the longest in the medicinal leech. It attracts the attention of researchers nearby interesting features in metabolism, namely, the ability to carry long time hunger (from 1 year to 3 years) and digest food very slowly.
The number of times the blood taken can exceed three times its body weight, also because the leech is able to suck blood even when there is still a lot of undigested blood in its stomach, and it can even die from gluttony if it does not burp. Blood is digested relatively slowly, which is associated with the presence of enzymes that break down native protein in the stomach, partly in the intestines, as well as with a substance that has an inhibitory effect on them. But when the blood reserves in the intestines are already exhausted, the ability to continue to live for a long time without food is explained by the strong development of the connective tissues of the body "of the leech, rich in reserve substances synthesized from the substances of the blood they have sucked. In general, this depends on the age and state of health of the leech, the degree of blood saturation , season, etc. In addition, starving leeches grow slowly, and therefore they must be fed in artificial reserves.
Reproduction of leeches at home
Various cases of cultivation of leeches in artificial conditions clearly showed (and this is important to consider when breeding them):
- the ability of leeches to go without food for many months, but at the same time their “long fast” after eating is not at all a necessity for them;
- even with frequent feedings, they greedily absorb large amounts of blood at one time;
- it is with frequent blood feeding without restriction that leeches quickly reach a large mass;
- with such a diet, medical leeches not only do not die, but also show all the signs of perfectly healthy animals
The sexual characteristics of leeches are very remarkable: they are bisexual, bisexual (hermaphrodites), have organs of both sexes - male and female. The genital organs are significantly developed, very complex, located on the abdominal surface of the animal, middle line body, towards its anterior end. They are close to each other male organ(stem with foreskin, scrotum and testicles) is located in front of the female (uterine sleeve, uterus with oviduct and ovaries). The leech does not fertilize itself, but copulates with another leech, sometimes with two, thus impregnating its partner and at the same time being impregnated by it.
Copulation can last from 15 to 18 hours. The period of sexual arousal (in the third year of life, and under artificial conditions, leeches are capable of childbearing by about 22 months of their age) - spring, summer, but maybe the end of autumn and even much later. Fruiting lasts from 30 to 40 days, after which eggs come out of the uterus, wrapped in a thick layer of mucous substance, which soon hardens, turning into a cocoon, similar to the cocoon of a silkworm. Inside its cavity is water and 15 to 30 eggs. Leeches bury cocoons in the ground, on the banks of their habitat, in conical depressions or between stones.
After 40 days, under favorable circumstances, especially in sunny weather, leech cubs hatch from the eggs; they crawl out of the cocoon through a small hole in its cone. The cub is so small that it is noticeable only when moving, but immediately reveals greed for food. He white color and only after a few months it is slightly stained from tail to head and differs in color from an adult leech. Cubs grow slowly (especially the first two years), from five to eight years, and can live for twenty years. AT vivo the leech reaches the size necessary for treatment not earlier than at the age of five and is suitable for medical use from the age of three or four.
Under artificial conditions, a leech can be grown to a mass suitable for use in medicine (1.5 - 2 grams) within 12 - 15 months to 3 years. They live an average of 3-4 years, rarely - up to eight years or more.
Using such a peculiar tool as medical leeches, you can achieve a very strong therapeutic effect, which is due to the work of a whole complex of organs of these worms. Taking into account this fact, it is necessary to know and follow the basic rules for caring for these creatures. Only if these rules are strictly observed can one achieve positive effect from the use of leeches.
The main thing in keeping leeches in artificial conditions is maximum approximation these conditions to natural. Animals can be kept in artificially created reservoirs, where they are delivered for breeding purposes, which does not cause any particular difficulties. It only requires constant cleanliness and appropriate maintenance. Leeches are stored in any containers, without creating special crowding for animals (for example, it is not recommended to keep more than 40 individuals in a 3 liter jar, and no more than 10 in a liter jar).
Proper conditions of detention - this is the main guarantee of the health of leeches. A sick animal must be separated from the rest in a timely manner in order to exclude the possibility of the spread of the disease. Sick leeches should be kept in a separate container until it is fully recovered.
Water used for keeping leeches should not contain harmful impurities, for example, well, spring or boiled water contains tiny lime particles that lead leeches to excited state, up to the attack on each other and death. It is best to use rain, lake or river water, which should be well settled and fill half the container for keeping leeches. It must be changed at the following intervals: in cold weather - once a week, in summer - 2 times a week, and in extreme heat or in case of “blooming” of water - daily, and it is necessary to ensure that the new water is approximately the same temperature as old.
The process of changing water in a container with leeches is carried out as follows: water with leeches is poured into a sieve or colander. If there are animals attached to the walls in the tank, then you can leave them in place. Then the leeches are washed with settled water from mucus, which can be fatal for them, blocking the respiratory openings. You can also transfer the leeches to a container of fresh water using a wooden spoon or strainer. When washing jars that contain leeches, the use of synthetic detergents should be avoided.
The container with leeches must be covered, but in such a way as not to block access fresh air to the surface of the water. This is best done with plastic wrap with punctured holes. Do not use gauze for these purposes, as leeches can gnaw through it and crawl out.
In a container with leeches, it is recommended to pour a small amount of washed river sand with the addition of a small amount of calcined charcoal or animal charcoal. In this case, 10-12 leeches can be stored without water decay and, accordingly, the need to change the water will occur much less frequently. In addition, the presence of sand and coal helps leeches remove mucus from themselves. Also, for similar purposes, some special aquatic plants (water shamrock, marsh horsetail (it must be tied in bunches), floating duckweed, water cabbage or copra) can be planted in containers. It is not recommended to add honey, sugar, molasses or similar products to the water to better feed the animals. These substances bring only harm, as they cause more rapid decay of water, especially in warm weather.
In the event of the death of some individuals, it is necessary to remove it from the jar as soon as possible in order to exclude damage to the water and the possibility of infecting other leeches.
In the room where the leeches are kept, the temperature should be maintained at about 10-12 ° C, but in no case below 5 ° C. We must not forget that a quick transition from cold to heat can cause the death of animals, but leeches tolerate a gradual change in temperature more or less normally. It would be reasonable to keep the containers indoors in cold weather, and take them out into the fresh air in hot weather.
It must be remembered that leeches are not very good at bright light, and therefore the jars should be darkened with a thin fabric of dark shades, which should still be removed from time to time. Alternatively, you can paint over the bottom of the jar with dark paint.
You should not keep satiated and hungry (purified from blood) leeches together.
Used materials:
E. Konstantinova, "Treatment of skin defects"
Medical leeches have long been popular. They are used to treat and prevent numerous diseases. They can be set independently at home, or you can clinical centers- where the procedure is carried out by a specialist. To maintain the viability of leeches and ensure that they do not have any infections, the rules for their storage and maintenance should be observed.
Best before date
Medicinal medicinal leeches are suitable for use for 6 months from the date of their shipment from the laboratory in which they are grown.
Since leeches are living beings, temperature regime plays an important role in maintaining their viability and activity. special conditions they do not require - they can be stored both in the refrigerator and at room temperature.
Attention! Medical leeches are quite sensitive to sudden changes in temperature. Therefore, it is impossible to change the place of their storage (from the refrigerator to the room, or vice versa).
The life cycle of a leech is quite long. They can live up to 10 years. Over time, they grow, which leads to an increase in the amount of blood necessary for saturation, as well as the main sucker. In this regard, the older the leech, the more painful its bite will be and the more blood it will be able to drink in one application.
Medical leeches are different poor eyesight, but at the same time they have a well-developed sense of smell and touch. To test if the leeches are usable, dip a few fingers into the container of water the creatures are stored in and wiggle them around. Ready-to-feed leeches will become active and rush to the fingers. Sedentary, non-responsive leeches are not suitable for use.
Reference. Medical leeches can get sick, which also leads to the impossibility of using them. It could be:
- Yellowberry - the body of a leech acquires a yellowish tint;
- Mucous disease - skin the worm produces a large amount of mucus that is not washed off naturally;
- Metallic disease - dense bumps form on the body of the leech, the dimensions of the body are asymmetrical and unnatural - some areas are too thin, some are too thick. Ulcer formation is possible.
If a disease is detected in one of the individuals, it should be immediately removed from common vessel and destroy - pour it with 96% alcohol and leave for a day, then throw it away.
The saliva extract of a medicinal leech is very valuable product widely used in cosmetology. The expiration date is 5 years from the date of issue, but after this time it can be handed over to the laboratory for retest analysis. If the result is positive, then the extract can be stored for another 5 years.
How to store at home
Very often, people acquire medicinal leeches for use at home. But in order for the procedures to be useful and effective, worms should be stored very carefully.
Home conditions are fully suitable for keeping these creatures.
The optimum temperatures for keeping leeches are from +5°С to +27°С. The room should be bright, isolated from noise, vibration and well ventilated. It is better to store the bulk of leeches in the refrigerator, and place those individuals that are planned to be used within the next week in a separate vessel and place it on the windowsill.
A glass jar is ideal for storing leeches. Can be placed in a container limited quantity individuals, at the rate of 15-20 pieces per 1 liter of water. Thus, it is best to use a three-liter bottle.
Dechlorinated (settled or filtered) water is poured into the container, filling only 2/3 of the volume of the can. The water should not be too cold or hot. After that, leeches are placed in it.
Important! The jar should be tightly closed with a cloth (not gauze) and tied with a tourniquet. So the leeches will be able to get the necessary oxygen, but will not be able to crawl out.
Water should be changed every 4-5 days, depending on the level of contamination and the number of individuals. However, it is impossible to wait until the water becomes cloudy.
Leeches should not be placed in freezer or leave it in direct sunlight for a long time. Worms do not tolerate pungent odors, so there should not be anything strongly smelling in the immediate vicinity of the jar.
In the refrigerator - in its different zones - are supported different temperatures. In the lowest compartment, intended for vegetables and fruits, the temperature ranges from +7°С to +8°С. This optimal location and temperature for storing leeches in a glass jar. Unused individuals can be kept there for up to 6-8 months, since the leech can live without food for almost a year, and on the farm they starve for 3 months before being sent to pharmacies and clinics.
Used leeches should be destroyed, but many people prefer to leave them for systematic hirudotherapy procedures. AT this case they should be stored only in the refrigerator (separate from hungry individuals), at a temperature of +5°C to +8°C, constantly changing the water. You can use them next time only after 5-6 months, or even later.
To keep the medicinal leech alive during the winter, change the water once a week or more often. The container with worms should be at room temperature, but in no case on the windowsill, under which the heating radiator is installed.
Storage conditions for medical leeches in pharmacies and clinics
After receiving medical leeches, a pharmacy or clinic employee must immediately disassemble the package. First of all, wash your hands thoroughly with ordinary soap that does not have a smell. Otherwise, wear disposable rubber gloves.
Leeches are stored in wide-mouthed glass vessels at the rate of 50-100 individuals per 3 liters of settled dechlorinated water at room temperature, which must be prepared in advance (1-2 days in advance). The storage place should be well ventilated, the vessels should not be placed in the immediate vicinity of poisonous or aromatic medicines. Lighting is dim. The neck is closed with a dense calico cloth and tied with a tourniquet or elastic band.
With proper care, leeches can be stored in pharmacies and clinics for up to two years, after which they are disposed of - placed in a separate vessel and filled with a 10% solution of chloramine. After 15-20 minutes, the worms decompose and acquire a jelly-like form, after which they are washed down the drain. The same actions are provided for when a sick individual is identified.
Transportation is carried out in accordance with the standards of GOST 17768-90. There are two options:
- AT plastic containers . It is carried out under the condition of low air temperature indicators - up to + 27 ° С and minimal travel time - up to 4-6 hours. No more than 100-150 individuals can be transported in a container at the same time.
- Containers with peat. If it is necessary to transport leeches over long distances, then they are placed in small soft or hard containers filled with peat. Such conditions make it possible to maintain the viability of leeches during 10-12 day transportation.
Application area
Release form - medical leeches. Sold without packaging clean vessel(glass or plastic). Country of origin - Russia.
Leeches are used in the treatment varicose veins veins, hemorrhoids, female and male infertility, diseases of the cardiovascular system, inflammation of the biliary tract and liver, respiratory organs and numerous other diseases.
Approved for dispensing from pharmacies without a prescription.
Hirudotherapy (treatment with leeches) refers to unconventional ways treatment, so it cannot give a 100% result. However, many people are confident in the high effectiveness of procedures performed with leeches. It is important to understand that an individual will be able to maintain its medicinal properties only subject to necessary conditions storage.
Many fishing enthusiasts are concerned about the right storage of leeches at home . They are extremely difficult to catch, because for this you need to visit the reservoir. You need to save a valuable trophy not for one day, but for a week or even more.
Storage of leeches: how and how much
Leeches are distinguished by their unpleasant appearance, so few people agree to put them just like that in the refrigerator in the kitchen. In addition, if they crawl out of the container where they were, they can dig into human skin.
In the matter of their storage, it is recommended to follow the experience of any pet store. Usually for this you need to prepare a jar, water and a cold place. By following all the recommendations, it will be possible to save valuable bait for a long time.
First of all, you need to prepare a suitable container where the leeches will be placed. For this purpose, an ordinary glass jar is ideal, and its volume can be not only 0.5 liters, but also 3 liters. It all depends on the amount of the trophy received. It is best that all the leeches can fit freely in the bottom of one jar, so it should be of the appropriate size.
Leeches for fishing
True, for one fishing trip you will not need a large number of leeches, so you should not choose a 3-liter capacity. In addition, it will be very difficult to place it in the refrigerator. If a lot of leeches are harvested, then the ideal option is the simultaneous use of several small jars.
For aquatic life, it is extremely important to create favorable conditions that will be as close as possible to the natural environment.
This means that the container is filled with water, and its level should only reach half. Of course, leeches are distinguished by a tolerant attitude towards land, as they are able to crawl out onto the shore, where the hunt for various living creatures begins.
Scientists have found that these creatures can be without water for a long time, but still they need it. Without moisture, their body will gradually undergo drying, after which death occurs. That is why very often near the reservoirs you can find a lot of leeches dried by the sun's rays.
Another component is the material that should be located on top of the container. It is necessary to make holes in it, allowing you to get a portion of fresh air. Otherwise, the bait for the next fishing will simply spread inside the refrigerator. For reliability, it is recommended to secure the cloth with an elastic band or rope.
It is important to remember that the prepared container should be in a cold place. Nothing will happen to leeches, because they tolerate well low temperature. Therefore, the refrigerator will help in creating the most optimal environment.
Pay attention: the preservation of leeches
It is forbidden to place the jar in the freezer, where the unfortunate fish bait will freeze into the thickness of the ice. Also, do not leave a glass container at room temperature, as this will negatively affect their condition. At temperatures above +20 degrees, leeches begin to show the instinct of procreation. If this could not be avoided, then caviar will soon be noticed on the walls of the jar.
The most suitable place for placing leeches in the refrigerator is the lowest compartment. First of all, this is due to concern for households, because not everyone will be delighted with the neighborhood of such creatures and food. Such a sight can spoil the appetite and cause a feeling of disgust. This means that it is best to place the jar at the bottom, and preferably away from prying eyes.
Now thanks to all the advice on the subject storage of leeches at home you can count on a great catch.
Leech storage video
How to store leeches at home video
Leech Care Instructions
Leech care, storage of leeches, how to change water for leeches, LIFE HACKS FROM YATRINA video
- the leech is kept cool,
- clean room,
- preferably in a dark place,
- at a temperature of 8 to 20*C, the optimum storage temperature is approximately +8*C,
- store in the refrigerator during the summer.
Particular attention should be paid to the temperature of the water that we pour into jars when replacing water. If the leeches were in the refrigerator, then the replacement water should also be in the refrigerator. Leeches are very sensitive to temperature differences and can die if given too much water. warm water(too cold).
The best container for leeches:
- earthenware
- porcelain
- enamelware, as it does not let light through
- Glass jars are also suitable.
The dishes are covered with a dense (or double cotton cloth) and an elastic band. You can not use gauze, as leeches run through the gauze, making holes in it.
The water in the jars is changed daily. The jar needs to be washed from the inside. Banks are washed WITHOUT DETERGENT and for each family of leeches I have a separate washcloth! I sometimes boil jars. I wash washcloths and napkins in a washing machine with powder and a long rinse. To quickly change the water, you can use the Yatrina method. Watch my life hack in the video on how to change water quickly in several jars, and so that the leeches do not run away!
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