Where to find dense rain forests? (Silent Valley? Periyar?)

jackiegear

Do you know, they STILL use them. It seems our Victorian ancestors werent that far behing with some remedies. What is more the Queen actually believes in using them. God knows what for, she has so many leeches following her around all day I suppose.

jackiegear

There was a young? man called slick Nick
and everything got on his wick,
from Goa and beaches to malaria and leeches
All our drivel is making him sick.

Nick-H

Hardly! I wouldn't hang around here all day if it did

But thanks for the poem anyway

__________________
.


Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

capt_mahajan

From what I know (which isn't much) those home remedies, like salt, are not advisable because the leech, well, throws up while detaching increasing chances of infection.

I was told to use my fingernail under the sucker on the thin end of the leech and prise it away, then similarly at the other end of the leech and just flick the damn thing away.

Leeches have some anti clotting thing they inject into you, btw. Makes their meal easier.

2cents

jackie,in my experience the best way to get rid of leeches that have latched onto your skin is to use a matchstick or lighter to burn them, till they shrivel up and let go. This way you avoid the risk of infection on account of their teeth remaining embedded in your skin when forcibly pulled off.

Like Nick-H and snonymous mentioned earlier, the knee length cotton socks,or atta-thuni(leech-cloth)as they are called out here,is the usual method of protection from leeches while trekking in the forest. Although while wearing one while hiking in Wayanad, I still got bitten by a leech who had crawled all the way up to my stomach!

Lime or tobacco paste applied on the skin is a pretty effective leech repellant.Lime or chunnambu, is easy to obtain out here.A liberal coating of lime paste on the legs before putting on one of those knee length socks would be a foolproof way to keep out the leeches.

jackiegear

what lovely people you are to answer all these questions. Thanks

jackiegear

Dear Grumps, I got photo onto profile but it doesnt seem to go on to the messages page, like your peacock, or is it a rule that faces cant be shown? Creep, grovel, help me and..................

Beware, be frightened, both your wife and yourself could come to dine with us in hotel in Madras on our last night. 30th August. We hope to stay in The Park, for a lark. We will pay,as long as you dont dine on a champagne and caviar trip.