• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • Nancy Reading
  • John F Dean
  • r ransom
  • Jay Angler
  • Timothy Norton
stewards:
  • paul wheaton
  • Tereza Okava
  • Nicole Alderman
master gardeners:
  • M Ljin
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • thomas rubino
  • Megan Palmer

Would you rather find a tick attached to you or a leach attached to you?

 
gardener
Posts: 3201
Location: Central Maine (Zone 5a)
1748
homeschooling kids trees chicken food preservation building woodworking homestead
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
If you like the "Would You Rather" game, check out this index of other questions. https://permies.com/t/238000/Permaculture-Edition

(Diseases aside, based purely on the animal) Would you rather find a tick attached to you or a leach attached to you?
 
Steward of piddlers
Posts: 7777
Location: Upstate New York, Zone 5b, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall
4409
monies home care dog fungi trees chicken food preservation cooking building composting homestead
  • Likes 6
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Ohh great, would you rather nightmare edition.

I'm going to say tick simply because I know how to deal with it. I haven't had a leech attach nor do I want that experience. I have had ticks a few times now.
 
Matt McSpadden
gardener
Posts: 3201
Location: Central Maine (Zone 5a)
1748
homeschooling kids trees chicken food preservation building woodworking homestead
  • Likes 6
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I'd probably prefer leaches. I had more experience with those as a kid.
 
steward & bricolagier
Posts: 16137
Location: SW Missouri
12457
2
goat cat fungi books chicken earthworks food preservation cooking building homestead ungarbage
  • Likes 12
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
You said diseases aside, but I'm going to ignore that.
I already show illness that looks like lyme, NO TICKS.
I have considered getting leeches to use for medicinal purposes, I have zero issue with them.
Leeches please!!
 
master rocket scientist
Posts: 7104
Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A
4230
cat pig rocket stoves
  • Likes 5
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
The devil I know...  ticks for sure!
I have been dealing with ticks since I was old enough to wander the woods.
I have never had a leach on me... eeek ick yukky!!!
I understand leaches can be helpful but...   I'll take the devil I know.
 
master steward
Posts: 8578
Location: southern Illinois, USA
3470
goat cat dog chicken composting toilet food preservation pig solar wood heat homestead composting
  • Likes 4
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Yes!  The devil I know…ticks.
 
pollinator
Posts: 1193
Location: Greybull WY north central WY zone 4 bordering on 3
366
hugelkultur trees solar woodworking composting homestead
  • Likes 7
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
really don't care.  Have done nearly 100 of each thru the years.  Leaches itch a bit more later typically would probably be the reason to choose ticks.  Leaches are also easier to remove though as just a little salt makes them go away.
 
pollinator
Posts: 703
Location: Sierra Nevada Foothills, Zone 7b
156
dog forest garden fish fungi trees hunting books food preservation building wood heat homestead
  • Likes 6
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I have only had 2 leeches so I am gonna go with tick. Devil you know...

 
gardener
Posts: 1858
Location: the mountains of katuah, southern appalachia
620
forest garden trees foraging chicken food preservation wood heat
  • Likes 5
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
i’ve had plenty of both, but it’s been years since i got leeched. i’ll go with them for novelty’s sake.

both are way preferable to bot fly larvae, if diseases are being left out.
 
steward
Posts: 22629
Location: Pacific Northwest
13374
13
homeschooling hugelkultur kids art duck forest garden foraging fiber arts sheep wood heat homestead
  • Likes 6
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I've never encountered either. But, as far as I know, leaches are sterile. I'll take the leaches!
 
master gardener
Posts: 6433
Location: Carlton County, Minnesota, USA: 3b; Dfb; sandy loam; in the woods
3879
8
forest garden trees books chicken food preservation cooking fiber arts seed woodworking homestead ungarbage
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Neither is pleasant, but also, neither is any big deal. As far as parasites go, they both beat the hell out of eyeball worms or brain amoebae.
 
pollinator
Posts: 261
Location: SE USA, southern Piedmont Uplands, zone 8b
227
home care personal care tiny house books cooking fiber arts seed writing composting
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
A leech! This reminds me of the Laura Ingalls Wilder leech story! Now I can't remember if it was only in the TV series or in the books, too.
I'm more familiar with ticks, but I find them not so easy to remove.
 
pollinator
Posts: 271
73
9
hugelkultur books chicken cooking food preservation greening the desert
  • Likes 4
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Matt McSpadden wrote:If you like the "Would You Rather" game, check out this index of other questions. https://permies.com/t/238000/Permaculture-Edition

(Diseases aside, based purely on the animal) Would you rather find a tick attached to you or a leach attached to you?




hahaha LEECH any day!  a little bloodletting never hurt anyone ROTFL

sandy
 
pollinator
Posts: 289
57
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Oh leech for sure. They make me throw up but at least I'm not gonna get lyme or alpha gal or any other mystery disease
 
Posts: 336
Location: Myrtle Creek, Oregon
25
5
cooking writing ungarbage
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Leech, ticks have too many health issues and leeches you just remove, no biggy.
 
pollinator
Posts: 1520
Location: Milwaukie Oregon, USA zone 8b
182
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I'll take a leech.  They're big, so they're easy to find on your body and easier to remove than ticks.  I have a friend who has two pet leeches, and she doesn't ever have to buy food for them like one normally does for a pet, because ... well you know haha.
 
pollinator
Posts: 1295
Location: Chicago
444
dog forest garden fish foraging urban cooking food preservation bike
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Leech, which for me is the devil I don’t know. I’ve seen them swimming in lake Bemidji but avoided attachment. Ticks I’ve had dozens. They are hard to find and leave you up all night wondering “did I get them all?” Plus, really can’t ignore all the diseases they spread.
 
I got this tall by not having enough crisco in my diet as a kid. This ad looks like it had plenty of shortening:
grow your own garden and build your own home in the gardening gardeners program
https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic