Leeches are pretty common to the Nilgiris. Since I suffer from an advanced case of Bdellophobia (a smug bastard's way of saying Fear of leeches), I have compiled a list of things which will help fellow sufferers in keeping the bloodsuckers away.Note that Leech bites are pretty harmless. Since the leeches use a powerful anesthetic in their saliva, you will feel no pain when you are bitten. Also it contains a strong anti-coagulant, which means you will continue to bleed for a while after the leech drops off (on its own, or if you pull it away). Leech bites can also leave a mark on the skin. You might get some allergy to leech bites too.
Before we start off, I heard that some species of leeches in kerala can actually jump from trees. I dont know how to avoid them, and I dont care since I trek in karnataka mostly. Anyway for normal leeches, the below techniques can help a lot.
Leeches hate the smell of tobacco, so I use tobacco flakes (ghutka) to keep them away from my feet. I also wear 2 layers of socks with tobacco flakes in between each layer, and also spread it over the shoe. You can also rub some on the lower extremities of your pants. I also stuff my pant in between the two layers of socks to prevent any from creeping up the leg.
Finally if you see those blood suckers on your shoe/clothes/bag, how do you remove them? Since I am scared to death of even touching them, I use a pain spray like Moov, and apply it on the leech. This makes the leech drop off after 2-3 seconds. I heard that other sprays like deodorants also work, but never tested them myself. Also I dont think it is a very good idea to use a deodorant on a break in the skin.
After any trek in a leech infested area, I suggest taking a bath and examining the body for any signs of leeches. Also avoid keeping the bags or shoes near the beds, since leeches might climb onto the bed resulting in untold sleepless nights interspersed with nightmares!
