Recent Posts

fungus gnat larvae
Continue Reading
Posted in Interesting Bugs Interesting Worms

Group of Larvae that Look Like a Snake

A reader of ours in Seward, Alaska sent us a photograph of a cluster of worms that he found in Exit Glacier. The group of worms look to be small and white and seem to move together like a snake. After viewing the photograph, it is very possible that these are fungus gnat larvae.

Continue Reading
Posted in Marine Worms Red Worms Worms Found in the House

Little Red Worms Coming From Tap in the Philippines are Midge Fly Larvae

“Very thin, little red worms” have been coming from this woman’s tap in La Union, the Philippines. She asks that we help identify the critters and provide insight on how to get rid of them completely.

Continue Reading
Posted in Interesting Worms

Worms Dirt Dessert

Believe it or not, in some parts of the world insects are considered a delicacy. In some countries, crickets are…

Continue Reading
Posted in Carpet Beetle Larvae Drain Fly Larvae Worms Found in the House

Bristly, Dark Brown Creatures Crawling All Over Bathroom are Carpet Beetle Larvae

“I keep finding these small caterpillar-like bugs in my bathroom”, states this reader in her submission regarding the bristly, brown worm-like creature pictured below. “Found two in the bathtub, one in the toilet and most just crawling on the tile floor.”

Continue Reading
Posted in Pest Worms

Small, Brown Worms with Stripes on the Counter

A reader recently wrote to us about, as the title of this article suggests, a small, brown worm with stripes on the counter. (The worm was on the bathroom counter, more precisely.) The reader sent pictures of the brown striped worm and was merely wondering what it is. She was very matter of fact in her email, not seeming particularly alarmed by the small worm, nor did she ask how to get rid of it, so we presume she is dealing with an isolated incident and not a recurring problem. (She did add the word “blah” after her short email, so she wasn’t altogether happy with finding the worm either.) So, we have a simple question before us: what is the small, brown, striped worm on the bathroom counter that our reader is finding.

Continue Reading
Posted in Heart Worms

Dog Heart Worm Symptoms

In the earliest stages or heart worm, there are no abnormal signs of infection. In mild cases, coughing is present. In the moderate stage, you may notice coughing, exercise intolerance, and abnormal lung sounds.

Continue Reading
Posted in Interesting Worms

Orange Worm

A reader wrote to us about some creatures she has been finding in her condo. She said they are very tiny, and that she usually finds them near the bathroom or in the closet. She is hopeful we can identify them and advise her on how to make her place less appealing to these worm-like organisms.

Continue Reading
Posted in Wooly Bear Worms

Woolly Worm Festival Beatyville, KY

The Woolly Worm Festival takes place in small towns across the U.S. each year. Locals and visitors alike gather in…

Catawba worm
Continue Reading
Posted in Caterpillars

Catalpa Worms with White Spiky Things All Over Them

We decided to title this article with more or less the exact wording of an email we recently received from a reader. She reported that her “catalpa worms have white spikey things all over them,” and she is wondering what is going on. Something is clearly amiss with her Catawba worms. (For the record, Catalpa worms are Catawba worms and vice versa, as the words “Catalpa” and “Catawba” are interchangeable). The reader asked no additional questions, so we will focus only on the white spiky things on the Catalpa worms. We won’t worry about general matters of identification, presuming our reader is definitely dealing with Catawba worms, and we also won’t worry about ways to rectify the problem, which may not be possible anyway.

Continue Reading
Posted in Parasite Worms Worms Facts Worms Found in the House

Tiny Black Critter that Stumped Pest Control Could be a Flea Larva

“Can you please help identify this worm?” asks Ashley about the tiny, black worm-like creature pictured below (which is barely visible on the photo). “The pest control came and said that in 30 years he’s never seen this kind of worm. They are smaller than an eyelash. Thank you so much!” Firstly, we want to note to our other readers that, despite the photo being quite of poor resolution and not showing the worm clearly, Ashley did send in an excellent video (linked below) of the worm moving about. This brings us to our second point: based on the video, we would venture a guess and say that this might be a flea larva.

Continue Reading
Posted in Interesting Worms

Why Do Millipedes Smell Bad?

A while back, a reader asked us which types of millipedes emit a horrible odor when threatened or stepped on. (Technically, the reader asked about “minipedes,” but we’ll assume this was a typo, unless they really are interested in knowing the nonexistent smell of an online ship that sells baby shoes in the UK.) In other words, which millipedes smell bad when threatened or attacked in some way. This is a simple enough question, but we’ll have to answer it in somewhat general terms because there are around 10,000 species in the Diplopoda class, which millipedes make up, so we of course can’t list every single millipede that smells bad (nor in truth do we know of all the millipedes that smell bad). So, we will focus on the following, more general question: why do millipedes smell bad?

Continue Reading
Posted in Hook Worms Parasite Worms Worms in Humans

This Woman Wonders Where She, Her Dog and her Family Can Receive Medical Attention for Potential Hookworms

“Where can I get help?” is the first thing this woman writes in her submission, posing the question that many face when they are concerned about parasite-related health concerns. This reader in particular is concerned about a “hookworm” that “came out of [her] dog” which has spread to her and her family members.

Continue Reading
Posted in Hook Worms Parasite Worms Worms in Humans

Hook Worms

Hook worms are intestinal parasites that are quite common in cats and dogs, especially kittens and puppies. They can also infect humans. Hook worms (also written as “hookworms”) can be found throughout North America, but some types of hook worm are more likely to be found in tropical and semitropical regions. There are several types of hook worm including: A. caninum (canine hook worm), A. braziliense (canine and feline hookworm), U. stenocephala (Northern canine hook worm), and A. tubaeforme (feline hook worm).

Continue Reading
Posted in Inch Worms

Worms Hanging From Towel Probably Inchworms

A reader found some critters hanging from a towel that was out by the pool. We believe these worm-like organisms are inchworms.

Continue Reading
Posted in Gross Worms Interesting Worms

Ribbon Worm

At a minimum of 8 inches long, the ribbon worms body is long and lean with finlike appendages. Some giant ribbon worm species or ‘Lineus longissimus’ may reach up to 100 feet long.

Continue Reading
Posted in Wax Worms

Interesting Facts About Wax Worms

Wax worms look like dull white caterpillars. They have thick bodies and a dark head. After mating, the female wax worm will lays her eggs and the cycle will begin again.

Continue Reading
Posted in Gross Worms Morgellons Disease Parasite Worms

Mother and Daughter May Have Symptoms of Morgellons Disease

We received a rather heart-breakingly desperate letter from a mother who is worried about herself and her 2-year-old daughter. They live in Walker County, AL and she is convinced that they are both infested by worms or another parasite. The symptoms she lists include:

Continue Reading
Posted in Marine Worms

Beach Worm

A reader wrote to us a while ago to ask about worm she found on the beach. Actually, she didn’t really ask about a worm on the beach – she wasn’t particularly interested in the beach worm itself – but she did mention it bit her son. Presumably, this is what concerned her about the worm. Peculiarly, though, she didn’t ask us anything. She merely said she found a white worm on the beach (it might have been more of a tan color, adds the reader) and that it bit her son, which created a mark on his skin that is red and itchy. Nothing else is added to the email – not even a period. We are of course in the business of answering questions, and the reader submitted her question through our eternally popular “Submit a Question” feature, so we are compelled to supply some information about her situation. What is this worm on the beach? Is this beach worm even a beach worm at all? Are worms on the beach generally dangerous?

Continue Reading
Posted in Bristle Worms

Worm Found in Sink is a Bristle Worm

We attempted to identify the specimen in a photo a reader sent us. At first we thought it could be a centipede, but then we settled on the belief that it is a bristle worm!

Horsehair worm in pool
Continue Reading
Posted in Interesting Worms

Horsehair Worms in the Garden

A reader recently submitted a question via the All About Worms Facebook page about a worm “coming out of the ground” in his garden. The most distinguishing characteristic of the worm is that it is “very thin, almost like nylon fish line,” and it moves in a “swaying motion.” The reader only asked if what he found is a type of worm, but we’ll do him one better by identifying the exact worm we think he found: a horsehair worm (occasionally spelled “horse hair worm”). Since horsehair worms are nematodes (roundworms), they are actually worms, not just creatures that everyday language, with its understandable but often frustrating contempt for scientific precision, has wrangled into the “worm category.”