leeches

Question
Robyn,
     I have a friend that has a pond in his back yard we recently went fishing and cought catfish all were about 10lbs but all also had leeches
on thier head and bottom of the belly area we were wondering how can he get rid of the leeches without harming the fish in the pond?. in the pond are {catfish,bluegill and largemouth bass}we appreciate all your help.
                        Thank You
                        Zeke lopez  

Answer
Many parasitic medications sold for fish will also kill leeches.  Read the labels to find one that says that it does.  Some such medications may be hard on the catfish so try a half dose for a day to look for signs of stress in the fish first.  How big is the pond?  For larger ponds, medications will cost a lot.  Leeches can also be baited by hanging mesh bags of meat in the pond and then removing them later with leeches attached.  I've not had to treat for leeches in my ponds which have the non-parasitic leeches that feed on detritus.  Sorry that I don't know of the best chemical to suggest.  Try some of the companies listed at http://www.fishpondinfo.com/farm.htm that like to sell chemicals in larger amounts for bigger ponds which I'm assuming this is (they would know about smaller ponds too).  Good luck!

Robyn
fishpondinfo.com