“May I ask what these are?” asks this reader about the black worms, as well as the single, beige, worm-like creature, pictured below. “Are they all the same? Location: Philippines.” Well, we have to say that the photos are quite blurry, especially the second one of the light brown worm. We can’t make out anything other than its color and general shape. For that reason, we have to say that we will unfortunately not be able to identify these creatures with 100% certainty or accuracy. Of course, we can still try our best to provide an educated guess, though this will also be based on very little as we were provided no context other than that our reader is based in the Philippines.

“Just found this on my kitchen counter that had a few closed bottles of vitamins and nothing else,” writes this reader in her submission regarding the striped, light brown creature pictured below. “What is it? Please.” Based on the photo alone, we know that this is a carpet beetle larva. We have covered this critter countless times at this point, so we could spot them from a mile away. There is good and bad news. The good news is that carpet beetle larvae are not harmful to humans and pets (though we should note that one can experience allergic reactions to them that can cause rashes to form). The bad news is that these are destructive pests that chew holes through the textile items in one’s home.

“What kind of worms are these?” asks this reader in her submission regarding the pink worms pictured below. “They are less than an inch long, and there were quite a bit of them. We are from Louisiana. We found them on our dog’s blanket outside which had been in the mud.” We must say that the photo is unfortunately quite blurry, meaning that when we zoomed in to get a better look at the worms, it got even blurrier. Since we can’t make out the finer details of the worms’ bodies, we can just go off their general shape and coloration.

“Do I need to kill them or let them do their thing?” asks this reader in her submission regarding the colorful and bushy worm-like creatures pictured below. “I am tolerant until it gets to the point where they’re eating plants down to the dirt. If you can identify them and advise me on treatment, I would greatly appreciate it. I live in rural south Texas, Victoria County, zone 9b. The photo on the leaf is about 1”, while the one on the concrete is almost 3”.” Firstly, we just want to point out that the second, three-inch caterpillar looks much different to the first one, so we will treat them as different species. That said, we do think they are both caterpillars.

“Can you help identify this worm/creature?” writes this reader about the brown, worm-looking critter pictured below. “They are out by the seeming hundreds right now and seem to have a tapered body. It’s raining, 55 degrees. Northwest Arkansas. Pictures attached.” Immediately, we have to say that the photos that our reader sent in were quite blurry, even without zooming in on the photo. This means that when we did zoom in for a better look at the worm, we could not see any of the finer details of the worm’s physical characteristics. For that reason, we will unfortunately not be able to identify the creature with 100% certainty or accuracy.

“I’ve had six inspections for bedbugs”, starts this reader in her submission, who goes on to say that all six inspections have come out negative for bed bugs. “For five years, every spring from April to August, I get these horrific bites/rashes, and I can’t figure it out. I do see carpet beetles during this time in the doorways and windows, but I don’t sit on the floor or carpets. They itch terribly! They are also raised as welts. I thought carpet beetles don’t bite, so what the hell could this be? For five years I can’t figure it out, and then it disappears at the end of summer. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.”

“I have an infestation in my condominiums in Henderson, Nevada”, writes Jennifer in her submission regarding the mass of black, worm-like critters pictured below. “They are parasites and live in the walls, under sinks, even the toilet tank. I’ve been spraying and cleaning everything, and it keeps it bearable, but never gone. I recently found a spider in my front door area, and I think there is a nest of some sort right outside of my house. Please help me if you can.” Right off the bat, we have to say that we will only provide suggestions for the creatures’ identities under the assumption that they are not parasites.

“I saw some of these worms in my cat’s fur, near his butt, but I’m not sure if it’s a parasite or just something from my garden”, writes Th?o in their submission regarding the black, worm-like organism pictured below. “It’s very small, like 5mm long, and very lithe. It’s a pinkish color (it looks darker in the picture). It also died (or dried out) soon after I found it, about 10-15 minutes later. We live in south east Asia, where there’s a tropical climate. Thank you for helping me.” To start with, we have to say that, whatever suggestions we make as to the worm’s identity, Th?o should take them with a grain of salt. The reason for this is that, since this worm was found on Th?o’s cat, it is possible that this is a medical situation.

“I have these small, tiny, dead, curled-up worms on my front porch”, writes Len about the black worm-like creatures pictured below. “What are they and how do I get rid of them? I assume they will be worse when it gets warm. I live in North Carolina, on the VA line.” Firstly, we want to thank Len for the great picture he sent us. Pictures like these, taken in great lighting and with a crisp quality, always help us identify the worms we are asked about. Secondly, we have to comment on the sheer number of worms he found, because it is truly impressive, though we understand that from Len’s point of view, it could be somewhat alarming.

“Can you help tell us what this is?” asks this reader in her submission regarding the thin, black worms pictured below. “And if it is common, or coming from one of us? And any possible ways of stopping worms in the toilet? My mum bleaches frequently and is super clean.” Despite our reader’s short submission, there are a lot of questions to be answered here. Firstly, we can definitely help our reader in identifying the worm-like creature pictured below. We think this is possibly a horsehair worm. These worms are somewhat common, though they are more common in nature than in people’s homes. They would not be coming from our reader or her mother, despite being parasites.

“I need your help identifying this worm or parasite I found in my house on the floor”, writes this reader about the white critter pictured below. “I am genuinely scared. I have a video of the movement as well. Thank you for your time and looking forward to hearing from you.” Now, as helpful as this video would have been, our reader did not send in any videos, only the picture below. From the picture, all we can see is the worm’s odd shape, white coloration, and what to us looks like a pretty flat body. We don’t know if that’s naturally the worm’s shape, or if it has been stepped on. In any case, it reminds us of a wood-boring beetle larva.

“I find hundreds of earthworms in my pool after it has rained”, writes this reader in their submission, which does not include any pictures or videos. “It looks like a mass suicide? Now, I read they can survive for up to two weeks under water. Is the chlorine in the pool toxic for them, and how can I help them get back into the ground?” To start with, whether or not earthworms can survive underwater for two weeks seems to be a debatable topic. Some sources say they can survive for weeks underwater, while others say they can survive for hours. Our take is that this would be entirely dependent on the species. There are species of earthworms that belong to a group of worms called ‘bloodworms’. They are typically red in color, which they get from the excess production of hemoglobin, which does indeed allow them to survive in low oxygen conditions, such as underwater, for long periods of time. That said, not all species of earthworms are bloodworms, and we doubt the earthworms our reader found are bloodworms.

“I want to get the information about this worm, cause today I found this worm in my drinking glass”, writes Viashnavi in his submission regarding the transparent organism pictured below. “I noticed it while drinking the water, so I got scared. Then I tried to vomit, and I vomited all that I ate before too. I think it’s not harmful to my body. So can you please reply to me. I need all information about this worm. Thank you.”

“Can anyone identify these things?” asks this reader in her submission regarding the strange-looking organisms pictured below. “I have alot of pics but for now I’ll send a few. Please help, I desperately need to know what these are.” Now, our reader does not give any more context, which makes identifying these creatures pretty hard, especially considering that they are not easily-recognizable organisms, and they all look completely different. When it comes to the first image, we think this looks like a moth – almost like a common clothes moth.

“I have found this segmented creepy crawly with “tail” on several occasions in our laundry hamper and linen closet”, writes this reader concerning the black-striped creature pictured below. “Should I be concerned? They’re about one cm in length. What are they? Thank you for your help.” To start with, we just want to thank our reader for the excellent photo she provided. It gives us a detailed view of the creature’s body, which always makes it easier to identify any given organism we are asked about. In this case, we think our reader has found a black carpet beetle larva.

“What is this thin, small, brow/tan, almost greenish inch worm?” writes this reader about the worm-like organism pictured below. “Found it dangling off my cap on a some sort of thread I think, it moves pretty fast. From the US.” Thanks to our reader’s excellent photo and video, but mostly the fact that she names the organism herself, we can confirm that this is indeed an inchworm. Inchworms are any caterpillar of a group of moth species found in North America. They are all characterized by their number and placement of appendages: legs at the front and back, but not in the middle. Due to how the legs are positioned on the body, the inchworm moves as it does in the video: by reaching for something to grab onto with its prolegs, then arching its back while the hind legs catch up.

“Saw this on my walk with my two doggies in the woods in Hevingham, Norfolk today, and am wondering what kind of creepy crawlie it is”, writes this reader regarding the segmented, dark green creature pictured below. “When I attempted a closer look it appeared to play dead!” Firstly, this is an excellent photo! The lighting is brilliant, and the details are crisp and clear, which makes it all that much easier for us to try and identify the critter. Secondly, we have to acknowledge what a strange-looking creature this is. The segmented body is very caterpillar-like, but the bulbous, bordering-on-giant, head is really odd.

“Many of our coconut palms that have been here for more than 30 years are suddenly dying”, starts this reader in her submission regarding the palm tree and the associated worm-like creatures pictured below. “The man that trims the fronds and fruit took the attached photos. The critters look like caterpillars and maybe something that is larvae. The creature with the stripe on its back almost looks like a millipede of some sort, maybe? It’s not clear if the creatures have created the problem OR there is some other problem which the critters are taking advantage of for their reproductive pleasure. I am located in Hawaii on the island of Hawaii.”

“I’ve found small, black, almost fuzzy-looking worms on and around the entrance door, the concrete patio at the doorway, and in every room, mostly on the floor!” exclaims this reader in his submission regarding the creature pictured below. “Seems I’ve crushed about a million, flushed a bunch, washed them down the shower drain, sprayed home defense and even peppermint mixed with water, but can’t get rid of these pests! What are they and what can I do to keep them gone? I live in a basement apartment in North-East TN, near the VA., Tennessee state lines! Thank you for taking my question!”

“For the past six months, I have been seeing these tiny worms, or creatures that look like worms, on my bathroom floor”, writes this reader concerning the gray critters pictured below. “They are not near the drain and that is what made me write to you, because I saw previous posts and you mention that these worms hang out near drains. We keep our bathroom clean, and once a month I put bleach down the drain with hot water. But I still see them come not only on the floor, but on the bathtub, sometimes on the window porch, they’re practically everywhere. I live in a house near London. Can you please advise what to do? Many thanks.”