A reader just asked us this question: How can I get rid of worms such as tapeworm in my yard? She said these larvae are attacking food, ants, and also her. She said they are specifically attacking her eyes. She sent us two photos. One is of the specimen in her eye (ah!!), which is apparently causing an infection. The other photo shows the specimen attacking an ant:

First, we highly recommend that this reader see a doctor immediately!!! If there is indeed a worm in her eye, she needs to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Also, since we are not professionals, we cannot give any advice about this situation.

We will say that we suspect this is not a tapeworm. Or rather, we think that at least the specimen attacking the ant isn’t a tapeworm. We believe this because tapeworms do not usually live outside of their host’s body. Small tapeworm segments look like little grains of rice, and when they are attached together they create the entire tapeworm, which can grow up to 50 feet long. When these segments exit a host by the means of a bowel movement, they might stay alive for a couple minutes at the most. After which they dry out and perish. If her yard was submerged in water, then there is a slight possibility the tapeworms might not dry out, but we don’t think this is a likely scenario. Therefore, we don’t think that the white worm our reader is referring to is a tapeworm. That being said, there are situations when tapeworms infect the eyes of humans. So it is very important that our reader sees a doctor as soon as possible to weigh in on this situation!

In summary, a reader asked us about a tapeworm attacking her, ants, and food in her yard. We aren’t sure if she is indeed dealing with tapeworm, but we recommend she see a doctor as soon as possible because we are not medical professionals and cannot administer medical advice of any kind!