Leeches!!!

[Nicos]

I can hardly believe it , but when preparing our leeks for supper tonight my OH ( ) found a tiny worm on one leek.....and in another ...a LEECH!!!!

I've tried to google it's ID but can only find Canadian pictures

It's not a black medicinal one , but a light chestnut colour with a pointy end and a flat rear end. It moves in arches and that's what made us notice it wasn't a worm!!
It's about 1 cm long at rest and 2" when moving ( and about 1/2 cm wide at rest)
Anyone know where I can check out pictures for comparison??

I know it's been a wet year....but blooming heck!!!!

[smallblueplanet]

Where were your leeks from?

[Minty]

I can hardly believe it , but when preparing our leeks for supper tonight my OH ( ) found a tiny worm on one leek.....and in another ...a LEECH!!!!

I've tried to google it's ID but can only find Canadian pictures

It's not a black medicinal one , but a light chestnut colour with a pointy end and a flat rear end. It moves in arches and that's what made us notice it wasn't a worm!!
It's about 1 cm long at rest and 2" when moving ( and about 1/2 cm wide at rest)
Anyone know where I can check out pictures for comparison??

I know it's been a wet year....but blooming heck!!!!

I have come across similar before but found them to be a caterpillar. Think the rule of thumb is that if they are wet to the touch they are a Leech.
Good link below for leeches and all other garden critters, has great pictures too. Minty X

[HappyMouffe]

When we used to live in Poynton we saw leeches quite regularly in some of the slow moving streams.

I came across this forum, where there is a picture of a brown leech that someone found.
ID of leech needed please. - Wildlife and Environment Forums. The shape of the leech varies depending on whether it has recently fed, what position it's sitting in etc so may look a different shape to yours? It sounds the same length when at rest. The final poster on the thread seems to know what they're talking about

Link to a picture of one of the beasts mentioned:BioLib - Obrázek - Erpobdella octoculata (hltanovka bahennÃ*)

[Nicos]

Where were your leeks from?

Dug up from the allotment this afternoon!!


It does look rather like that last picture HappyMouffe.
If it's a very rare species though as the first forum mentions I would need to inform someone surely??
So I need to keep it alive until at least Monday!!

Which link Minty??

[Minty]

Dug up from the allotment this afternoon!!


It does look rather like that last picture HappyMouffe.
If it's a very rare species though as the first forum mentions I would need to inform someone surely??
So I need to keep it alive until at least Monday!!

Which link Minty??

Sorry Nicos. Linky is below
Leeches

[Nicos]

Minty!!!!!

It's the first photo of the second group - carniverous not blood sucking....so that's a bit of a relief!!

The tiny thin worm we also found in the leek was the square tail worm- adapted to live in water!
Just goes to show how wet my allotment is!

Thanks for the link....bet I better release them to the wild then ?( someone else's plot?????)

[lainey lou]

We use leeches at work sometimes on plastics, yucky little things, but very useful!

[Headfry]

yeeeuk I hate Leeches.... I thought they were only found in water !!!!!!

[harshini]

I can hardly believe it , but when preparing our leeks for supper tonight my OH ( ) found a tiny worm on one leek.....and in another ...a LEECH!!!!

I've tried to google it's ID but can only find Canadian pictures

It's not a black medicinal one , but a light chestnut colour with a pointy end and a flat rear end. It moves in arches and that's what made us notice it wasn't a worm!!
It's about 1 cm long at rest and 2" when moving ( and about 1/2 cm wide at rest)
Anyone know where I can check out pictures for comparison??

I know it's been a wet year....but blooming heck!!!!

-PL. check my experience with leeches at : ThE LeechY pLacE MuN...: A very interesting experience with leeches

[Nicos]

Hi there..and welcome to the Vine!!

Interesting experience Glad it wasn't me!!!

Do you know what the locals used to put off the leeches???

My soil is bone dry on the surface now- it's peat and the wind is blowing it around!! That's why I was so surprised that something like a leech and water-adapted worm could over-summer in the soil!

Are you also growing fruit and vegetables???

[Rowan]

I walked to Coventry yesterday - the towpath was full of puddles - leeches everywhere!
My late stepdad's tip (from HIS dad) to deal with the blood-sucking kind is to attack them with a lit cigarette.

[Madasafish]

Our pond has leeches. Probably brought in by birds: ducks?

[Headfry]

oh goodness, this is horrid i cant hack leec......