How to Remove a Leech (And How to Avoid Them in the First Place) by The Manual Anyone who watched the classic 1986 Rob Reiner film Stand by Me, inspired by a Stephen King story called “The Body” probably already has a lifelong fear of leeches. And if you’re not in that category, don’t worry: you’ll fear and loathe these onerous bloodsuckers within a paragraph or two. But don’t go! Stay and read, because if you ever find yourself in the decidedly unenviable position of having a leech attached to your body, or to the body of a loved one, friend, or pet, you’re going to want to know how to remove leeches in the most expedient manner possible. If you currently have a leech adhering to your body, skip down a few hundred words and get that sumbitch off you. If you have the luxury of a few minutes, let’s first learn a bit about these creatures. What Is a Leech, Anyway? Leeches, to use the scientific term, are just awful. Broadly speaking, they are a member of the annelid phyl...