Worms in Shower Likely Drain Fly Larvae

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We recently received this message from a reader, “For about a month we have had these little ~1 cm black worms squirming in the edges of our shower in the morning. We are not sure where they come from. I have tried to kill them constantly with bleach. This kills them, but they come back often.” Our reader also included a photograph of one of the creatures next to a toothbrush:

We are confident that the creatures our reader has discovered in his shower are drain fly larvae. Drain fly larvae are extremely common household pests, most typically discovered in bathrooms and kitchens. These small larvae feed on organic matter and sewage. Although our reader has been killing the larvae he finds with bleach, we believe they keep appearing because he hasn’t eliminated their food source, which is the organic matter that has built up in his shower drain. Adult drain flies also lay their eggs in this gelatinous film, so if he cleans it out he will successfully eliminate both the food source for the current generation, and the breeding spot for future generations.
To clean out his shower drain, our reader will need to purchase a cleaning gel that is specifically designed to get rid of organic matter. He should use this product as well as a pipe cleaning brush to scrub up all of the build up in his drain. If the larvae are still appearing after he cleans out the drain, then his shower drain might be clogged. If this is the case, our reader will need to remove whatever is clogging his drain in order to say goodbye to these larvae.
To wrap up, one of our readers discovered small black worm-like organisms in his shower. We are confident that these organisms are drain fly larvae, which despite living in filth, are not known to spread any human diseases!

 

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Summary
Worms in Shower Likely Drain Fly Larvae
Article Name
Worms in Shower Likely Drain Fly Larvae
Description
A reader discovered small black worm-like organisms in his shower. We are confident that these organisms are drain fly larvae, which despite living in filth, are not known to spread any human diseases!
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Author: Worm Researcher Dori

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