Sourcing ribbon leeches off-season

[Berlin]

Hello, all!

I recently started composting using earthworms, and that's led to me being interested in annelids generally--particularly leeches! I'd hoped I could catch some ribbon leeches in my area, but either it's too late in the year for them or...I'm just not doing a great job or don't have the right environment.

Has anyone dealt with someone selling ribbon leeches out of season? (I've noticed most of the bait sellers only sell them during the spring and summer.) I'm particularly interested in leeches that aren't blood-eaters. I'm not keen on feeding them with myself!

- Berlin

 

[MTA]

If youre willing to buy like a pound or more of them theres lolbait and leechtrapper online but i dont know how reputable they are. Otherwise you'll have to catch them yourself. Where are you located? You should still be able to catch leeches until it starts getting pretty cold, octoberish. The way I caught leeches was just taking a big soup strainer or spider and pulling that through vegetation in ponds and stuff. Theres also some guides on trapping leeches with chicken liver and stuff online. I saw a video online of a guy hanging chicken liver in the water and leeches coming to it.

 

[Berlin]

Howdy, MTA!

I've been sinking plastic bottles I've punched holes in in some lakes near me, baited with liver, leaving them overnight, and pulling them in in the very early morning. Haven't had any luck catching anything! I'm in Northern Virginia. There's a bit of marshland near me with some raised pathways and a lot of vegetation I may try next. It's still quite hot here, so I'd think there'd be some around still...

When you used the strainer, is that something that works during the day? Or do you have to be out in the evening or night to catch them that way?

- Berlin

 

[MTA]

It should work day or night, also try flipping over rocks and looking under any debris like plastic bags or metal cans.

Erpobdella lineata cocoon

• MTA
• Aug 30, 2018
• 2

Erpobdella lineata cocoon

Erpobdellids like ribbon leeches also deposit their cocoons on plants, rocks, and other flat surfaces so if you see those you should find them.

 

[Berlin]

Great! I'll get a strainer of some type and give this a go this weekend. Thank you! I'll report back if I catch anything.

 

[Berlin]

Ha, all I managed to catch so far is a tiny fish--I think it's a mosquitofish. It's now living by itself in a 5-gallon tank and going, "Huh, no mosquito larvae here." I'll buy some fish food for it today, and go out and try for leeches again in another location.

 

[MTA]

Ha, all I managed to catch so far is a tiny fish--I think it's a mosquitofish. It's now living by itself in a 5-gallon tank and going, "Huh, no mosquito larvae here." I'll buy some fish food for it today, and go out and try for leeches again in another location.

Any luck? I managed to get plenty of small erpobdellid leeches at a nearby lake last sunday, so they aren't gone yet.