Sons and grandkids got back from Fraser Island couple of days ago, I didn't go Back not good.
Son with the bad leg was getting out of his 4wd on the first day sometime during the day, and noticed his bad foot was bleeding quite heavily, couldn't work it out till they found a leech sitting, maybe lying and fully gorged, on the floor mat. It had been sucking his foot through a gap in his sandal and was pulled off when he removed the sandal to see where the blood was coming from.
Took approx two hours to stem quite a heavy flow with older son dressing it and putting pressure on it.
That is quite a yucky experience, thought I had better warn anyone they are there.
Gerty Dancer said
12:37 AM Jun 14, 2012
Yuck! ... Ultra Yuck!!! Are you glad you didnt go now, HW? Leeches can get inside boots and under socks, you need to check for them often. I found Vicks Vapour rub around the tops of my socks kept them out of shoes.
gypsy rover said
12:38 AM Jun 14, 2012
Nasty little suckers Marj. I grew up in the country so got quite used to them. I believe they inject some sort of anticoagulant to make the blood keep flowing. Hence the problem you had stopping the bleeding.
Cheers!
Chris
Happywanderer said
12:45 AM Jun 14, 2012
gypsy rover, My sons on warfarin and bleeds like a cut cat at anytime, The leech would have been loving it.
Happywanderer said
12:46 AM Jun 14, 2012
Gerty, Vicks sounds like a great idea. Who would have thought.
neilnruth said
03:53 AM Jun 14, 2012
Yes, HW, your post has made me realise anyone on blood thinners would bleed more with a leech. Gerty, what a good idea. Vicks also good for cold sores.
Beth54 said
11:52 PM Jun 14, 2012
Yucky! I remember getting one on me as a kid and screaming blue murder 'get it off, get it off'!
That's a good trick Gerty, I'll pass it on too.
Son was working on a TV show in the rainforest around Murwillumbah and had leeches on him every day. *shudder*
Cruising Granny said
04:12 AM Jun 15, 2012
I've never had any experiences with leeches, THANK HEAVENS!!!!!
jan-ed said
05:25 AM Jun 15, 2012
We were house sitting up at Bellthorpe in the Glasshouse Mountains, Qld and they were everywhere up there.
The first night we were there, the dogs where asleep in front of the fire when i noticed all this blood coming
from one of the dogs paws, on closer inspection i nearly freeked out when i saw this huge leech firmly planted
in between the pads.
Every time the dogs came inside i would have to do a "leech inspection"......i always found one or two!!!! Yuk!!!
BohemianGypsy said
05:41 AM Jun 19, 2012
Just a warning for anyone heading up to Springbrook on the Gold Coast Hinterland. We used to go there all the time when we lived on the Coast and it has many many leeches when I found one on my leg we stopped going for good lol. Michelle
Beth54 said
05:51 AM Jun 19, 2012
Wherever there are rainforests, there is the potential for leeches, the same as for ticks in the bush.
Gerty Dancer said
04:27 PM Jun 19, 2012
Probably the only thing in favour of cold climates is theres no leeches! No midges either.
They are there!!
Sons and grandkids got back from Fraser Island couple of days ago, I didn't go Back not good.
Son with the bad leg was getting out of his 4wd on the first day sometime during the day, and noticed his bad foot was bleeding quite heavily, couldn't work it out till they found a leech sitting, maybe lying and fully gorged, on the floor mat. It had been sucking his foot through a gap in his sandal and was pulled off when he removed the sandal to see where the blood was coming from.
Took approx two hours to stem quite a heavy flow with older son dressing it and putting pressure on it.
That is quite a yucky experience, thought I had better warn anyone they are there.
Are you glad you didnt go now, HW?
Leeches can get inside boots and under socks, you need to check for them often. I found Vicks Vapour rub around the tops of my socks kept them out of shoes.
Nasty little suckers Marj. I grew up in the country so got quite used to them. I believe they inject some sort of anticoagulant to make the blood keep flowing. Hence the problem you had stopping the bleeding.
Cheers!
Chris
Yucky! I remember getting one on me as a kid and screaming blue murder 'get it off, get it off'!
That's a good trick Gerty, I'll pass it on too.
Son was working on a TV show in the rainforest around Murwillumbah and had leeches on him every day.
*shudder*
We were house sitting up at Bellthorpe in the Glasshouse Mountains, Qld and they were everywhere up there.
The first night we were there, the dogs where asleep in front of the fire when i noticed all this blood coming
from one of the dogs paws, on closer inspection i nearly freeked out when i saw this huge leech firmly planted
in between the pads.
Every time the dogs came inside i would have to do a "leech inspection"......i always found one or two!!!! Yuk!!!
Michelle
Wherever there are rainforests, there is the potential for leeches, the same as for ticks in the bush.