The growth and reproduction of medicinal leeches is an activity that requires specialized documentation of this invertebrate from a biological point of view and the conditions in the natural environment in which it normally develops so that in captivity similar conditions can be ensured. With this knowledge, we obtain a good yield in reproduction and the leeches have a normal and healthy development.
The leeches of this species have a good adaptation in captivity if certain conditions of brightness, temperature, humidity, and noise are strictly respected. They have an increased sensitivity to their contact with chemicals, so their use is prohibited.
Important in their development are water quality and biological control of food. They are fed with fresh blood from young and healthy animals that come from authorized veterinary slaughterhouses. These conditions are different from the wild leeches!
The deposition of cocoons cocoons is an important stage in their process of development, which is why the environmental conditions must be strictly respected otherwise the baby leeches inside the cocoon no longer form or die. Breeders who are passionate about growing and reproducing these beings often have difficulty with this stage!
If the environmental conditions are respected and a careful selection of future leech – mothers is performed, one leech can give birth to 80 – 150 offspring who resemble their mothers perfectly.
Growing the young young is another important stage because they can easily get sick and die. Their feeding is done either with fresh blood placed in the intestines (the old method), or in bolters that have a collagen membrane through which the baby leeches penetrate with their bite to reach the fresh blood which is placed in another vessel (the new method).
In captivity, the leeches reach maturity after 6 to 10 months of intensive feeding and are put up for sale after at least 4 months of non-feeding in a specially arranged space. The leeches reproduced and raised in captivity resemble the wild ones and some of them are sometimes born lighter in color. Water quality is also essential at this stage.
The period of quarantine is ensured in a specially arranged and bacteriologically treated space, and they must stay there at least 4 months until they can be used in hirudotherapy.
The sale of the leeches leeches is done throughout the year, only from our bio laboratory, based on a firm order or on the basis of a sale-purchase contract, both to individuals and to authorized/legal natural persons.
The leeches are offered for sale only after this period of quarantine and are transported in wet bags on a wet sponge bed enclosed in polystyrene boxes.
- We only sell leeches from our own production
- HIRUDOVER SRL has no authorized distributors !!!
I recommend that you do not get fooled by unscrupulous sellers, who do not provide legal proof of their ownership. The medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) is a protected species, it is considered a monument of nature, according to the Washington Convention of March 3, 1973!
- Any amount of leeches is accompanied by the invoice, storage and maintenance conditions and certificate of compliance/sanitary-veterinary certificate (all proving a strictly authorized space for this activity).
- We grow, breed and market leeches throughout the year.