Recent Posts
Worms in Shower are Earthworms
How to Repel (Not Kill) Earthworms
The earthworm’s moist, sustenance rich environment plays an extremely important role in reproduction as well. Worms prefer to mate and reproduce in warm moist soil, away from the light. If the conditions are not suitable for reproduction, the worms won’t reproduce.
Segmented, Worm-like Creature on Bed Cover is a Black Carpet Beetle Larva
A reader in Cairo, Egypt asks for our help after discovering a worm-like creature crawling on his bed cover. The creature appears to be black and white, with a segmented, elongated body.
Yellow Worms Found in Backyard are Mealworms
“Found these worms in the backyard and there are a lot!” exclaims this reader in his submission regarding the segmented, yellow worm-like critter pictured below. “I have a small garden there with an orange tree, but the garden is unattended. What are those? They seem to be active in the night and light attracts them I think.” Based on the excellent photo our reader sent in, as well as the helpful context, we would conclude that these are mealworms. Mealworms are the larval stage of the mealworm beetle, which is a species of darkling beetle. As our reader correctly stated, mealworms are nocturnal, and while they are not necessarily attracted to light, they can sense it.
Moth Larvae “Take Over” Reader’s Car
One of our readers found a ton of small worm-like organisms in her car. We are confident these are moth larvae. They are not harmful or dangerous and she can get rid of them by cleaning!
Gray ‘Worms’ in Toilet are Probably Fly Larva
We recently received a question from a reader who found an interesting creature in her toilet. She found it a while after anyone had last used the toilet, so it is unlikely that it came from a human. She said she has done a lot of research, but has been unable to match it to anything she has discovered.
Millipede or Centipede?
Yesterday we received one of the simplest questions we have ever been sent. The reader submitted a photo of a creature and asked only if it is a centipede or millipede. There were no complicating factors, so he was basically looking for a one-word answer. We think our reader found a millipede, and in what follows we explain why. In doing so, we will outline the difference between centipedes and millipedes, providing a concise guide that will help you determine whether you have found a millipede or centipede.
Segmented, Brown Worm on Dog Toy is a Beetle Larva
“I found this grub/worm on a packaged stuffed dog toy I ordered online”, writes Sarah in her submission regarding the segmented, brown, worm-like creature pictured below. “It was stuck to the fabric on a white patch that looked a bit like egg sac remnants? There was only one that I could find. What is it?” Now, what caught us off guard about this creature at first were the six appendages sticking out from one end of the creature’s body. It took us a moment to realize that the critter was upside down, and that these were its prolegs! Once we gathered that, we figured it must be some type of beetle larva, as the body shape, segmentation, and presence of prolegs point to this conclusion.
Parasitic Worms of Worms: What Types of Parasites Infect Worms?
We received a very interesting question recently about, essentially, parasitic worms that infect other worms. Most of us have heard of parasitic worms that infect other hosts, including humans, but are there parasitic worms that take worms themselves as their host? More broadly, the reader was wondering if there is any “example of a parasitic animal whose host is a worm,” so in addition to looking for parasitic worms that infect worms, we are also looking for any sort of parasite that takes a worm as a host.
Can worms see and how?
One of our readers wrote to us and asked us if worms can see and if so how do they do so. This is a question that has come up a lot with our readers. There are quite a few types of worms that are blind, but some worms have specific ways of seeing or sensing light in order to crawl their way around the soil or a specific place.
Blue Caterpillar with Black Spikes and a Red Spiky Head
A reader recently sent us a picture of a blue caterpillar with small black spikes on its back and large red spikes on its head. The blue, spiky caterpillar also appears to have two black eyes (even though these are actually not functional eyes, but eyespots, a defense mechanism some caterpillars use to scare away predators). The reader only sent the picture of the spiky, blue caterpillar and this deceptively simple question: “what is this?” Good question.
Worms That Appear After Rain Are Probably Earthworms
one of our readers discovered hundreds (or maybe even thousands!) of long, red worms outside of her home after experiencing some rain. We think these are earthworms.
Pink Worm in Toilet is an Earthworm
We just heard from a reader who found a worm swimming in her toilet bowl at work. She sent us some great photos and requests answers to the following two questions: What kind of worm is it and how did it end up in the toilet? Finally, she added that her work building is in an older part of town where there is some standing water around the building.
Thanksgiving Day Desserts: Banana Worm Bread
We don’t expect you to eat worms on Thanksgiving so we’ll give you the wormless version of this delicious dessert.
Tiny Worm on Bed is a Carpet Beetle Larva
The small brown worm our reader found on her bed is a carpet beetle larva. Unfortunately, these organisms can be really annoying and destructive, but luckily our reader only found a single larva, so she should be able to start cleaning in time to prevent an infestation.
Worms in Basement are Millipedes
A reader discovered dozens of millipedes in her basement. These creatures are harmless.
Inchworms and the Trees They Attack
Inchworms move in a very distinctive style and have voracious appetites. These caterpillars are fond of deciduous trees including apple, maple, and oak.
Natural Cures for Dog Worms
Natural cures for dog worms don’t actually exist, but preventative measures do. Before you can treat or prevent dog worms effectively, you should become familiar with the different types of dog worms and how dogs get them. The different types of dog worms include tapeworms, roundworm, whipworm, and heartworm.
Fungus Gnat Larvae
A reader shared a video of fungus gnat larvae she found in her front yard. Although the sight of these creatures is alarming, there are natural ways to get rid of them!
Moldy Home Infested with Drain Fly Larvae
We just received a message on our Facebook page from a concerned reader about some worms she spotted in her house. She wrote that there are a ton of very small black worms that she didn’t notice at first because her house is covered in mold. She said there are “millions” of these worms spread throughout her bedroom and that she no longer wants to sleep in that room because one of the walls is soaking wet with mold. The walls that aren’t covered in mold are infested with these worms. She is in distress and needs help with this infestation