“My sister found this in our front bathroom today and we were trying to figure out what it is,” writest this reader about the segmented, black, worm-like creature pictured below. “We live in Western North Carolina U.S. I fished it out of the toilet to get a better look and see if I could figure out what it was. We weren’t sure if it maybe came from her and, if not, where it came from at all. Based on what I have noticed just by watching it, it looks like it may possibly have legs but I’m not positive. Based on the direction it seems to move it appears to breathe through its butt. It is very small and thin, zoomed in it looks like it has stripes along its body but two very distinctive stripes towards the end. Because I had taken it from the toilet I put a dime under the dip cup I had placed it in for size comparison and labeled the mentioned characteristics in the picture.”

“Please help!” exclaims this reader regarding the black worm-like creature pictured below. “Found these things all on our bed when we got home from a two week vacation. Mind you, we have three dogs. So, the house is a constant battle for fur. I have no clue what it is as I’ve never had a problem like this before.” Now, if it was not for the picture, we would have identified these as flea larvae or clothes moth larvae, just based on the context. That would have made sense given the fact that our reader has a dog and they were found on a bed (as both creatures will eat loose fur and hair, and other materials found on a bed).

“Is this a flea larva?” asks this reader about the array of worm-like critters pictured below. She does not include any more context, and the photo is quite blurry, so it will not be possible for us to give her a straight answer that is 100% certain or accurate. Of course, we will still do the best we can. Now, we assume that although she refers to a larva in the singular, she is actually referring to all of the organisms pictured below. If not, then we do not know which one she is referring to and wondering if it is a flea larva. But, since the organisms all look similar, we feel safe in assuming she is referring to them all. If that is not the case, she is welcome to let us know and resubmit a new photo with the one particular critter she is wondering about.

“We found this worm in the loo this morning”, writes this reader about the long, red worm pictured below. “We have a kitten, and sometimes flush his stool. I fear this may be yet another bloodworm/earth worm question, but we wanted to ask whether you thought it could’ve come from our kitten. We live in a top floor apartment on the 4th floor in the UK.” Just by looking at the worm, we think it is indeed a bloodworm. If we did not think it was a bloodworm, we would not be able to confirm or deny if we thought it came from the kitten, as only a vet would be qualified and legally able to do so. If our reader thinks that this worm is harming his kitten, or notices that worms are found in its stool, then we recommend taking the kitten to the vet.

“Is this a parasite?” asks this reader in her submission. “It came out when my boyfriend’s aunt cleaned her coffee pot! It swam around the carafe for hours until the bleach water finally won the battle. YUCK!” Well, unfortunately we can’t tell what organism our reader is referring to in the photo. We assume it could be the translucent, ovate objects on the clear dish, but we cannot be certain. And the photo is quite blurry, so we nonetheless would not be able to provide an identification that is certain or accurate. On top of that, we cannot confirm or deny if any organism is a parasite, because parasites always pose a medical threat. Since we are not medical professionals, we are not qualified nor legally able to identify organisms of this nature.

“What is this in the video?” asks this reader in his submission regarding the tiny, red, worm-like creature pictured below. “Pest was very small, probably less than a centimeter. Was found on a roll of toilet paper. In the image, that’s a single square of Charmin it is on for perspective.” Now, despite the minimal context provided, there are some things to unpack here. Firstly, we will not be able to give a concrete answer as to what this creature is, simply because the photo and video provided are way too blurry to pick out the details of its physical characteristics. The most we can do is provide some educated guesses as to what it could be. Secondly, while the video is blurry, it does tell us something about how the creature moves. Its seamless gliding over the surface of the toilet paper tells us that this creature has legs, and is not a worm, but probably some type of larva (if not a millipede or centipede). Thirdly, our reader explicitly states that this is a pest, but does not elaborate on that point. For that reason, we will not assume that it has to be a pest when we suggest possible identifications.

“Can you tell me if this is a worm?” asks this reader about the fuzzy, white, worm-shaped creature pictured below. “If so, what kind is it? I found one of them on the floor beside the toilet in my bathroom, and it seemed to be moving a little so I sprayed it with bleach. It was about one-and-a-half inches long. The others were in the toilet and all but one (which was probably about 3 inches long) were the same size. Also there was this little funny looking brown thing too in the toilet, and it was about a quarter inch long. I’m in Sumrall, Mississippi.”

“I found these on the ceiling of my staircase and wanted to know what this is”, is all Niko writes in his submission regarding the black, worm-like creature pictured below. Now, sometimes we do not need a lot of context if the photo provided is good enough. Unfortunately, the photo Niko sent in is quite blurry, and the photo only gets blurrier the more you zoom in. For that reason, we can’t make out any identifying information about the worm other than its color and general shape, and so we will not be able to provide an identification that is certain or accurate. All we can do is provide some educated guesses.

“I have the same worm in my house as this woman does in this article”, writes this reader in her submission. We do not know which article she is referring to, but we will nonetheless relay the rest of her story: “It can eat through walls, porcelain, wood, linoleum, tile, glass, and humans. My house is infested. My family and pets are all sick. And my research says that, based on our symptoms, it is some sort of fluke worm. But I can’t get any tests to come back positive for any type of worm, which I guess is normal for this type. They basically have to be tested while they’re still alive, which is absolutely impossible. I was wondering what type of specialist you were referring to in the article to get them out of the house. Because I can’t find anyone that deals with parasites. Not to mention the fact that you only get treated like you’re crazy.”

“Is the grub in the attached video a carpet beetle larva?” is all this reader asks in his submission regarding the orange and brown-striped critter pictured below. Luckily for him, no context is needed in this case. We have identified so many carpet beetle larvae at this point that one look is all it takes. This is indeed a carpet beetle larva. And it is a grub too (a common umbrella term for beetle larvae, or just plump-looking worm-like creatures). Before we get into a brief overview on these creatures, we want to thank our reader for the excellent video he sent in. We do not have many videos showing how carpet beetle larvae move about on a piece of fabric, so to have that, and be able to share it with our readers, is invaluable.

“I keep finding what looks to be small worms,” writes this reader in her submission regarding an array of creatures. “But, while walking through my apartment after a VERY thorough cleaning, I felt like I had stepped on a piece of glass. I couldn’t find anything until I swept the area (after already mopping it three times), and what I saw in my dustpan threw me into a major panic attack. I used my Google Lens to see if I could figure out what I was looking at. Every article I could find said it was hammerhead flatworms that I was looking at. The apartments I live in have had a BAD infestation with bed bugs, and I have recently been cleaning up dead bugs and black spots that keep appearing everywhere around my apartment. I have not seen a live one, although I have woken up with bites.”

“Thin black worms, the size of red wigglers, are coming in from outside under the door,” writes this reader about the critter pictured below. “It’s been raining heavily during the night in Hendersonville, North Carolina. I do not see any legs. I live in a long term care facility and don’t want to see them harmed. Thanks for your help.” Firstly, we want to thank our reader for the very helpful context, which in this case is especially helpful since the photo is pretty blurry. Knowing that it does not have legs rules out a lot of possible identifications and helps narrow down the possibilities. Secondly, we commend our reader for not wanting to see the worms harmed. We know, and understand, that a lot of people’s first instinct when they find worm-like critters in their home is to kill them, even if they are harmless.

“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.

“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 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.

“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.

“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.”

Two, strange-looking creatures were found by Gary, a reader whose issue we only recently covered in “an article on what we identified as potential pupae” or debris. Shortly after we covered his story about the “two little guys” he found on his “couch after [he] spent the night sleeping on it”, he sent us new pictures. Here is what he said: “Actually I sent you the wrong picture. The one that I sent you was of them days later. Attached is them right after I found them. Closest thing that I’ve found is from Australia, but theirs has an open triangle on them as mine are filled in. Very similar otherwise.”