“I found the worm in the attached photo in my pool, and I have not found anything similar in internet searches”, writes Brent in his submission regarding the thin, long, worm-like creature with antennae pictured below. “Can you tell me what it is and if it is dangerous to humans or pets? Thank you!” Now, although this photo is not high resolution, meaning that when we zoom in the details get pretty blurry, we can see that the creature does indeed have the aforementioned antennae, which leads us to believe that Brent found a centipede in his pool. More likely than not, the centipede ended up in the pool by accident, and its presence is nothing to worry about.

“I keep finding these worms that are super skinny and an inch or two long with two tiny antennas”, writes Chase in his submission regarding the “skinny” creature pictured below. “They are in my bathroom and are only on the walls and pop up after I’m gone all day or have been sleeping all night. They don’t look like typical earthworms either. It looks like there are segments but I’m not sure. I’ll attach a photo and video.” To start with, we have to note that since the photo is quite blurry, we cannot make out these segments that Chase is referring to, as well as other smaller physical details that might further reveal the identity of this creature. That said, based on his description of the organism, we think Chase has been finding centipedes on his walls.

“I found these in our toilet after five days of no use”, writes Cindy about the swarm of black worm-like creatures pictured below. “One of my grandchildren used the toilet last. Could these be pinworms?” First and foremost, we have to make clear that we will unfortunately not be able to confirm or deny if these are pinworms. For context, pinworms are parasitic worms that situate themselves in the intestines of their hosts. They are very common in children, so we understand Cindy’s concern, especially since these were found in a toilet. However, we are not qualified or legally able to identify parasites, given that their presence indicates a medical situation. Only a medical professional is able to identify such organisms, as that identification acts as the diagnosis which determines what kind of treatment may or may not be needed for the person afflicted.

“What kind of bug is this?” is all Kimberly asks in her submission regarding the dark gray-brown-colored organism pictured below. She does not include any context with her submission, and we do have to note that the resolution on the photo is poor, meaning that when we zoom in on the creature, the details become incredibly blurry. With that in mind, it will not be possible to provide an identification which is 100% accurate; the identification we are about to make is based purely on an educated guess we made, which is, in turn, based on the little we can make out from the photo.

“Translucent, striped, microscopic, hairlike worms in Miami Beach apartment water faucets”, writes this reader in her submission regarding the array of organisms pictured below. “I had previously found this after bathing my dog with Septol. This nightmare never ends. Now I noticed they come from our faucets. What is going on? I’m so scared. Thanks for your help.” The first thing we want to bring attention to is our use of the phrase “array of organisms”; we do think our reader is actually dealing with multiple different organisms that are not necessarily related. For example, the yellowing, segmented worm-like creature pictured below looks to us like a fly larva (maggot). People can commonly get these during the summer as flies enter the home and lay eggs in one’s organic compost. The best way to tackle these is to consistently throw out compost and larvae in trash cans outside, keep one’s kitchen clean, and maybe buy fly traps if the issue is bad enough.

“Is this a tapeworm?” asks Tammy in her submission regarding the clear, whitish worm-like critters pictured below. “I’m sure it must be. But the strange thing is I found it coiled up, I thought it was just some type of elastic on the side table in the bedroom! How would it get there? I freaked out that I touched it, but realized it was strange if elastic. I put it in a baggie with some eye drops to keep it moist. I’m freaking out because I don’t understand where it came from to end up on a table! I have no pets in this room. I thought worms came out in poop! And rarely seen as a whole worm. Please help me with this ASAP. I’d really appreciate.”

“I had taken in a stray cat who was deathly I’ll”, starts Darlene in her submission regarding the white worm-like critter pictured below. “Actually the vet advised me not to but I thought I could save her. The cat threw up a pile of worms. Some looked smooth, like wet spaghetti with no lines in them, but some looked segmented so I assumed tapeworm and treated her with over the counter medication. The good part of this story is the cat is fully recovered and is magnificent. Loving and adorable. The bad part is, my home and my car are filled with these stringy looking things everywhere, and my family has some strange symptoms we didn’t have before this cat. So my question is, can flatworms and tapeworms be free living? Like hitching a ride in my car? These are in my car. These photos are from my cell and magnified two or three times.”

“This worm was crawling up my shower window”, writes PG in her submission regarding the beige-colored, worm-like critter pictured below. “I think it resembles the invasive hammerhead flatworm but does not have the crescent moon-shaped head. Do you know what type of worm it was? I’m located in southeast Texas.” From the photo, we cannot determine a specific identification, though we agree with PG that it could be a flatworm, as there are species of flatworms with this coloration. We do not agree that it is a hammerhead, for the very reason that PG gives: it does not have the eponymous hammerhead.

“Is this a worm?” asks Darlene in her submission regarding the thin, white worm-like organism pictured below. “And if so what kind? I find these in my car and they always look the same. I can wash my car completely and when I come back in they are on the dashboard. They’re very hard to see – either white or translucent. The only time you can really see them is on the black dashboard. I used a piece of tape to keep it intact.” Now, some extra context would have been super helpful here. Like, where is the car parked and does she leave the windows open? Are the worms found mangled, and that is why Darlene needed a piece of tape to keep them intact? Regardless, we will do our best to provide Darlene some info based on the different possible scenarios.

“What is the specific type of this worm?” writes Imina in her submission regarding the segmented, cream-colored worm pictured below. “It is from my ceiling and drops onto my pillow every night.” To begin with, we have to commend Imina on the excellent photo she took, and thank her for taking a photo next to a rule, which is the best way for us to understand its size. This creature does not even reach one centimeter (approximately 0.4-inches) in length. It has a bulbous brown head and a similarly-colored prong on its rear. Based on its physical characteristics, we have concluded that this is a beetle larva.

“I can’t figure out what this is”, writes Thomas in his submission regarding the thin, white worm-like creature pictured below. “I found it in my backyard soil. It’s extremely thin and maybe four inches long. You can see how small it is by the wire it’s crawling on for size and the mite that goes near it. It looked like a piece of fishing line at first but then I noticed it moving. It’s mostly clear/white in color with some black insides. I’ve been trying to find what it is but I can’t find anything similar to this. Do you know what it is? Thanks.” To start with, we want to thank Thomas for his incredible photo, which has definitely been magnified, as the green wire that the worm is crawling on looks like a pipe! We also want to thank him for the context which is super helpful.

“I have found two of these very, very small larvae in my bathtub after returning home from being away for four days”, writes Nicole about the yellow, worm-like critter pictured below. “As a backstory, I have two dogs and we recently (within the past month) moved into a new home that is old and under renovation. About three weeks ago I found a few fleas which I had thought I had completely eradicated. I washed my dogs with Dawn dish soap a few times that week, vacuumed extensively, laundered all of the linen in the house multiple times, spread diatomaceous earth under baseboards, carpets (and then rolled them up) and around certain spots the dogs like to lay, and had a company come to spray the yard with an organic solution (safe for pets and children). I hadn’t seen a sign of a flea in two weeks. I do also see a lot of other bugs making their way into the house; mainly just some ants and small black beetles. I’m really hoping these worms I found aren’t flea larvae, but I can’t seem to be sure what they are. They look almost to be a light pinkish color and if you zoom in on one of the photos, it looks like the larvae may have legs. I’m very confused and hoping you can help!”

“Can you help me identify what is growing underneath my bathroom cabinet?” is all Jennifer writes in her submission regarding the strange, hair-like growth pictured below. As much as hair is worm-like in shape, this growth is too, but we highly doubt that these are worms. We would be more inclined to suggest that this is some type of fungus (mold) or alga. Now, we are no experts on either of these organisms, as our thing is worms and worm-like critters, but we will do our best to provide any and all information that might be relevant to Jennifer’s situation.

“I found two of these worms on a sweater I was lint rolling”, writes Allison in her submission regarding the tiny, brown worm-like critter pictured below. “The sweater had been out in my garage in my laundry area before I had a chance to wash it (it’s cashmere so I washed it by hand in cold water). After washing and air drying (which took a few days because it’s been gloomy here), I lint rolled and found two of these worms. I did notice a few holes in the sweater so I thought they were some type of moth larva but from what I could find moth larvae are more rigid and these are moving like worms. I am horrified. What are they?” To start with, we want to thank Allison for the great photos, the best of which we included below. Clear photos like these are always a huge help. We also want to sympathize with Allison: finding unwanted guests in your home, let alone on your clothing, can definitely be horrifying.

“I hope you are able to help me”, writes Julia in her submission regarding a whole host of problems and organisms. “After nearly two years of doing my own research I am still unable to identify these organisms. I say that because I’m not sure if they are in fact worms or possibly the larvae of another insect?” Now, first off, we want to thank Julia for the array of photos, of which we chose the most distinct and clear ones. Photos are always invaluable when it comes to trying to identify organisms. Secondly, we have to say that this is, by far, the most amount of context we have ever received regarding a worm-related situation. For this we are also grateful, as it is equally important to provide context when trying to get an organism identified. That said, it can be a lot for our other readers to process, and we also want Julia to get the information and answers that we can provide as soon as possible.

“Any idea what this worm is?” asks Luke in his submission regarding the tiny, yellow, worm-like creature pictured below. “It looks very similar to a meal moth larva but more yellow, with a larger spot on its back, and a light colored head. I found it dangling from a really thin silk line off a tree.” Now, if it were not for that last piece of context, we would have identified this as a mealworm (which is not to be confused with the Indianmeal moth larva that Luke mentions). Mealworms are larvae of darkling beetles, but as such, they cannot produce silk/web like many species of caterpillars can. This is why context is so important. Without that piece of information, we would have provided a false identification (which is not to say that we have not provided incorrect identifications in the past, even with ample context: we’re only human after all!).

“My daughter and I both have had a bunch of itchy bumps on our legs and I’ve had a couple on my arms that made me afraid they were bed bugs”, writes this reader in her submission regarding the black bug with a long tail pictured below. “I’ve been digging around nightly but haven’t found any signs of them. Then tonight I saw this tiny thing – maybe the size of two poppy seeds. I have a video too if it’s helpful. We are in New York City. Thanks so much!” To begin with, we want to thank our reader for the photo, which shows us a lot of identifying information about the creature, particularly this tail-like appendage on its rear. The coloration, shape, and this tail tells us that this is likely a carpet beetle larva.

“I had been outside under a tree and came inside to use the bathroom”, writes Judy in her submission regarding the white, worm-like creature pictured below. “I found this in my underwear. I have never seen one again, inside or outside. I have found some pictures that look like it, but I’m not sure which one is which. The picture of the worm is on a washcloth and is small. Do I need to be concerned?” To begin with, we want to thank Judy for the photo and context, both of which have made it far easier for us to identify the worm-like critter she is asking about. We believe she has found a clothes moth caterpillar.

“I purchased mystery snails and one laid a clutch”, writes Jessica about the black, worm-like critter pictured below, as well as the clear-white objects, also pictured below. “Well, I thought it was hatching last night, and these tiny shell-less, slug-like, tiny, black worms were inside. Only like five of them, but they have antennae and kinda the same ribbed look as the snail’s siphon. They kinda move in an ‘inch worm motion’. Not sure if they prefer water habitats, but they are inside an empty aquarium and seem to be able to survive and swim. Are these the newborn snails? They don’t look like them, because they have no shell.”

“Can the carpet worm bite a human?” asks Martha in her submission. “I was bitten in several parts of my legs two days ago, so I looked and found the larva. The bites look like so.” First off, we want to note that, going forward, we are going to assume that Martha is referring to the carpet beetle larva, which is commonly referred to as a carpet worm. Carpet beetle larvae do resemble worms, but are technically insects. Secondly, we will not be able to confirm what these are, as Martha did not send in any photos of the larva. Lastly, to answer her question, carpet beetle larvae cannot bite. With that said, they can cause rashes.