How to properly store medicinal leeches at home

Knowing the storage rules, you can not be afraid for the “suitability” of medicinal leeches and be sure that they can live at home for a long time.

The right container for saving leeches at home

To keep leeches at home, you will need ordinary glass jars (3 liters) half filled with clean water. Such conditions will make it easy to assess the condition of the leeches, due to the fact that the jar is transparent and has a wide neck. No more than one hundred leeches should be placed in one such container.

It is worth noting that the water in which the leeches will be stored will turn green over time. This is considered the norm. In order to change the water, you need to use a strainer, otherwise you may accidentally drop the leeches. The water in which it is planned to keep “unusual doctors” should be left for a day to settle (during this time the chlorine will disappear from it and the mineral salts will fall to the bottom). It is strictly forbidden to boil or distill water for storing leeches (storing them in water that contains chlorine is also prohibited).

Caring for leeches during storage in an ordinary apartment

Leeches need daily inspection. If sick or dead individuals are found, they must be immediately removed from the jar. You can recognize a sick leech by its appearance; it looks like a straightened black ribbon. If someone touches her, she will hardly react to the touch. If you plan to store leeches for a long period, then it is better to choose a refrigerator for this (in general, acceptable temperature ranges from 5-27 ° C).

See video: “Where to buy? How to store medicinal leech at home?

Leeches cannot be “fed” with anything (milk, sugar, etc.). These medicinal individuals feed only on blood. Before they are placed on the human body, they must be very hungry. Leeches can remain hungry and not die for more than 6 months.

The jar with the “living hospital” must be covered from light with a piece of fabric. In order to close the container, you need to secure a thick cotton cloth to the neck with an elastic band. They can “gnaw through” mesh fabric (gauze or mosquito netting) and run away. Leeches are exhausted by noise; they do not like unpleasant odors (especially tobacco smoke). It is prohibited to have hungry and satiated leeches in the same container at the same time. The sad fact is that a “used” specimen must be disposed of by placing it in a strong salt solution or hot water. Leeches cannot be reused. Although, there is an opposite opinion, but it has not been scientifically proven.

It is worth mentioning that you should never self-medicate. Before making a decision and starting to apply leeches, it is imperative to consult with a qualified specialist.