Leech Forceps - Long. Stainless Steel Metal. Our forceps are a strongly recommended leech tool to use with any type of bloodsucking creature. Whether you are keeping medical leeches for therapy and clinical use or you are buying leeches for pets, leech forceps are a must-have and a go-to instrument to use in handling leeches. These forceps allow quickness, exactness and gentle handling of the Hirudo Medicinalis, especially during Leech Therapy (Hirudotherapy) procedures with patients. When you handle leeches with your forceps, you are avoiding the possibility of leeches biting you or sticking to your rubber gloves. Once a leech gets a hold of your hirudotherapy gloves with its powerful suction cups, you will have a very challenging time removing it. This applies to just about anything that a leech gets a hold of. Medical leeches will suck tight and won't let go, unless this helpful tool comes to your aid and pulls you out of a "sticky" situation. Handling your therapeutic bloodsuckers or pets with this long gentle instrument is really a breeze and you will find out very soon how true this is! Even when your leeches arrive in the mail and you have to pull them out of their protective bottles, you will find this job to be easy as 1-2-3 with the help of leech forceps, however, without them, it will take you quite a while to deal with that and you may have to pry open or cut open the bottle, to manage to get them out - you will be glad you got the forceps to make this job seamless. Not to mention the level of professionalism that this tool will give you, as a budding or even experienced hirudotherapist. The leech forceps increase your credibility with clients and patients and enhance your work preparedness and ability to handle therapeutic hirudotherapy work by ten-fold. Furthermore, if you are raising leech pets or keeping lots of leeches in jars or leech containers and growing your Hirudo medicinal leech collection or even trying to breed leeches, you will definitely need to invest in this tool, which makes all leech-related tasks (such as water changing) so incredibly easy and fast and virtually fool-proof. The tool also gives you the ability to swiftly move your bloodsucking creatures around, back and forth, transfer them into new containers change and upgrade their leech lodge to a new environment with moss, rocks, and more leech indulgences. We feel the forceps tool is a must-have for anyone dealing with leeches, period. This incredible product is also one of the two best sellers in our leech supply shop (number one being the leech jars).
UPON ARRIVAL: Immediately transfer your leeches out of the container with special gel and into a jar of cold water!
HOW TO GET THEM OUT: Pour out the gel with the leeches from the container. If the leeches are still inside, you may add a bit of cold water and swoosh everything around vigorously. If they are still stuck to the walls, you may try to use your fingers. Regular tweezers may harm the body of the leech, so they are not recommended for use - its best to purchase the recommended leech forceps used for easy removal and handling of the leech. In the absence of forceps, be sure to handle your leeches quickly, so they don’t start sucking blood from your fingers.
BEST CONTAINER TO USE: Keep your leeches in a large glass (or plastic) jar with a tight lid. The container needs to be filled about 1/3 full of ice-cold water. The lid needs to be closed and you may puncture needle-size holes in it. Alternatively, instead of a lid, you may cover your jar with cloth tied with an elastic band.
CARE: Change the leech-water at least once a week. Dump out old water by shaking it around vigorously first, with the lid on, until the leeches’ skins come off (they shed their skins about once a week). Skins appear as slimy whitish-clear particles, floating in the water. Carefully pour-out the old water with skins, taking care not to pour out any of the leeches, then, refill the jar again, close and shake. Repeat this process as many times as needed, until all the skins are completely gone and the water is perfectly clear. Fill the jar again with 1/3 cold water (its ok to use tap) and close the lid tightly.
Keep your jar with leeches in a cold, partly dark place, away from direct sunlight. During winter, they can be kept outdoors, partly-covering the jars with a towel, to protect from full sun-exposure. We do not advise you to feed your leeches during winter. Leech species can keep for 1 year without feeding. Keep your fed leeches apart from the hungry ones, as they will prey on each other. Be sure to purchase separate jars, to separate your fed and hungry leeches properly.
