How to Get Rid of Leeches in a Pond
- 1-pound coffee can with plastic lid
- Knife or nail
- 1/4 cup of raw meat
- Muck bacteria pellets
There is no proven way to kill all leeches in a water system without destroying the ecosystem and other life within the water. But you can severely reduce the population of leeches in your pond.
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Poke several 1/8 to 1/4 inch holes in a coffee can lid with a knife or nail. Place 1/4 cup of raw meat such as chicken, beef or liver in the bottom of a the can. Cover the coffee can with the plastic lid.
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Submerge the can into your pond. Place a rock on top of the can to keep the can from falling over.
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Check the can two times a week and remove it when you find leeches trapped inside. Remove the leeches from the can and destroy or dispose of them.
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Remove rocks, sticks and other debris from the pond. Leeches prefer to hide under these types of objects; removing them will help reduce the leech population.
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Apply a bacteria to the pond to clear the bottom muck where leeches breed. Muck-clearing pellets utilize natural bacteria to reduce muck. Follow your products label, and throw the recommended amount of pellets for your size pond into the water. One product recommends 1/2 pound of pellets for each 500 square feet of pond surface. Leech numbers drop over time as the muck decreases.
