larva on sheets
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Posted in Pest Worms

Worms or Larvae in Your Sheets: Is Your Cat Responsible?

We received a question from a reader a little while back about a worm she found in her sheets while using a lint roller. (To address the terminology issue up front, we should note that she probably found a larva in her sheets, not a worm, so we’ll use “larva” from here on out.) The reader shares her room with a cat, and although she doesn’t let the cat on her sheets for shedding-related reasons, she thinks the cat might be responsible for the larva’s presence in her room. If not, she suggests that it might be coming from her (the reader). In addition to the origin question, she also wants to know what the larva is, so we’ll address both of these matters below.

plump worms
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Posted in Interesting Worms

Mysterious Plump Worms

A reader recently sent us a picture and asked us one straightforward question: “what the hell is this?” What the hell indeed. The picture appears to depict some sort of plump worm, by which we mean the worm has a relatively thin posterior and anterior end, and a fat middle. However, the image isn’t very clear, and in fact it is hard to tell if the fat middle is actually a part of the worm itself, or if it is something covering the worm (like mud or something like that). Below we attempt to address our reader’s question to the extent that this is even possible.

millipede in Hawaii
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Posted in Interesting Bugs

Millipedes in Hawaii

We received a question from a reader in Kauai, Hawaii about a creature with “little legs and antennas” that she found in a pile of tree mulch. (For the record, in the biological realm, the plural of “antenna” is “antennae,” which is confusing because for other uses of “antenna,” like for radios, the plural form is “antennas.”) The reader asked us for an identification, and we are virtually certain he found millipedes. Below we offer a few more details about millipedes and explain why we think this is what our reader found.

earthworm in dirt
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Posted in Dog Worms Earthworms Parasite Worms

Dogs Eating Worms – Is it Safe?

We received an interesting question from a reader in Michigan about her dogs eating worms. Actually, the question isn’t really directly about eating worms, but more about the potential dangers associated with dogs digging around in the ground, finding worms, and then playing with them in their mouth, potentially ingesting them (or part of them) in the process. Her scenario is fairly specific and contains a few components, so we’ll quote her message in full, but our general focus will be on the question of whether or not it is safe for your dogs to eat worms.

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Posted in Interesting Worms

Long, Thin Worms That Move Like a Snake

A reader in Desoto, Missouri sent us a question the other day via the All About Worms Facebook page about…

tiny worm in shower
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Posted in Pest Worms

Tiny Worms in the Shower and Sink

A reader recently sent us a question about the tiny worms she is finding in her bathroom – in her shower and sink, more precisely. She also found a single worm in her room. The worms are quite small (see the picture below), and the reader describes them as a “pinkish color,” although this is difficult to determine on the basis of the image we were sent. The reader was wondering what she found, so we’ll focus on the question of identification.

slug
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Posted in Interesting Worms

Slimy Worms (Slugs) in Great Britain

We received an extremely detailed question about a worm a while back from a reader in England. The reader has been trying to identify the worm, which is gray and slimy, for the past nine years (since April 14th, 2006, to be exact). The reader found the creature under a discarded pillow in Holywells Park in the town of Ipswich, which is in Suffolk, England. (He even gave us an Ordnance Survey National Grid reference, a British geographic grid reference system, so that we could pinpoint the exact area where he found the worm.) The worm leaves a “slim-trail” behind it when it moves. The reader thought be might have found a “Worm Slug,” or Boettgerilla pallens, but he has since ruled out this possibility. What kind of slimy, gray worm is our reader finding?

crushed carpet beetle larva
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Posted in Pest Worms

Pictures of Carpet Beetle Larvae

A few days ago a reader sent us three pictures of what appears to be a carpet beetle larva (or probably carpet beetle larvae – the three images don’t appear to show the same exact creature). The reader only asked us for an identification, so we have basically already answered that question, but below we’ll discuss our thinking, as well as share the photos of the carpet beetle larvae our reader submitted. They are quite clear, and show the creature from a few different angles.

black and gray larva that bites
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Posted in Pest Worms

Black and Gray Larvae that Bite

A reader in Arizona wrote to us about a black and gray larva that crawled into her bed and bit her on the hand. Naturally, this concerned her, and she is trying to figure out what she found. The larva, which is about a half an inch (one centimeter) in length, was a bit menacing in that even after the reader removed it from her hand, it started crawling back toward her, and it was only when she shined light on that it backed away. What type of black and gray larvae might crawl into your bed and bite you?

short fat larva
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Posted in Interesting Worms

Short, Fat Brown or Gray Larva in Bed

We received an email from a reader a little while ago about what appears to be a short, fat larva. The larva was in the reader’s bed climbing on her arm when she discovered it. Its color is hard to describe, but it is basically a brown or grayish hue. The reader didn’t actually ask a question, but we are assuming she is curious what she found, so we’ll focus on the matter of identification. What kind of short, fat brown or gray larva might turn up in a bed?

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Posted in Worms Generally

I Swallowed a Bug: Should I be Worried?

We received a strange question a little while back concerning the implications of swallowing a bug. A bug flew into our reader’s mouth, and at least some of the bug was swallowed. The reader experienced some irritation in the back of her mouth, and she also had a sore throat, so she was wondering if she should be worried. However, the discomfort might be the result of allergies, according to the reader, and not the fact that she swallowed a bug. The reader asked if we could “help at all,” so we presume she wants us to comment on the whether or not it is dangerous to swallow any sort of bug, a matter we will try our best to address.

millipede and tree damage
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Posted in Worms Generally

Millipedes, Centipedes, and Intricate Tree Damage (Amazing Pictures)

We received a very interesting question from a reader a little while ago about what appears to be a centipede or millipede (but probably a centipede). The millipede/centipede is long, a tan or brownish color, and has large antennae. The reader sent a picture of the creature, and also sent a picture of a tree that has been damaged, but in a highly intricate and patterned way. The tree almost looks like a maze or puzzle because the bark is covered with interconnected shapes. The reader was wondering what kind of creature she found, and she was also wondering if whatever it is was responsible for the artistic tree damage.

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Posted in Worms Generally

Are Worms (Worm Oil) and Maggots (Maggot Oil) Healthy to Eat?

We received a peculiar question a little while ago about eating worms and maggots, or more precisely about consuming worm oil and maggot oil, which we presume is just the oil produced by worms and maggots when they are cooked. The reader is wondering if this oil is a healthy fat, and also whether it is okay to consume at night. The reader seems to use the word “maggot” to mean “edible worm,” so we think he is mostly curious about the oil of any worm that can be eaten (which are in fact almost always larvae), not about maggots specifically, at least as we might understand the word “maggot” (the larval form of flies). Basically, the reader seems to be asking for nutritional advice about worms and worm oil (or larvae and larvae oil).

mystery bug
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Posted in Caterpillars

Hairy Caterpillar with Black and Yellow Stripes

We received the following email a little while ago: “it’s black with yellowish stripes and hairy. What is it?!” That is the entire message, and no picture was sent with the email. We presume our reader found some sort of creature that he wanted us to identify, and just decided to convey this desire in the most concise manner possible. Based on its description, it sounds like our reader found a caterpillar, so below we explore some caterpillars that are hairy and have black and yellow stripes.

mystery bug
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Posted in Parasite Worms

Parasitic Worms and Mental Health

A reader wrote us a concerning email a little while ago insisting that she has “parasitical worms,” even though doctors have told her she is actually suffering from a delusional infestation, and that she should see a psychiatrist. Over the last four years, the reader has been on a quest to discover what is afflicting her, and she recently concluded she has “Lyme Disease and microfilaria worms.” The reader has taken some rather extreme measures to address her condition. She has sprayed everything in her house, including herself, with “Ortho home defense bug killer,” and “10 UV light air purifiers and two large IQ Air Hepa air purifiers” are at work in her house. Despite these measures (although we hesitate to use the word “despite” in this instance), the reader can’t seem to improve her condition, and thus she asked for our help.

carpet beetle larvae on wall
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Posted in Worms Generally

Carpet Beetle Larvae on the Walls

A reader asked us about some worms or larvae that he found on the walls of his house recently. Over the past two months, he has found three worms/larvae, so he doesn’t seem to be dealing with any sort of infestation, but the issue persists. The reader sent in two pictures and asked us if we are able to identify what he found. We are fairly certain he is finding carpet beetle larvae, which are of course larvae, not worms, and below we explain why we think this is the case.

grub worm
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Posted in Grub Worms

What Do Grub Worms Look Like?

We received a picture the other day from a reader requesting an identification. The image depicts white (or more like whitish) worm-like creatures that are quite plump, and the reader thought he might have found worms or caterpillars. In fact, we are quite confident the reader found grub worms, also called “lawn grubs” or simply “grubs.” Even though one of their common names is “grub worms,” they are not actually worms, but the larvae form of beetles – generally scarab beetles, but “grub” is a fairly loose term. Thus, they are not worms or caterpillars, but insect larva. Below we explain why we think our reader found grub worms.

mystery bug
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Posted in Interesting Bugs

Black, Worm-Like Bugs that Fall Apart When Dried Out or Dead

We received an extremely short email from a reader the other day about a black bug that looks like a worm and falls apart when it is dried out or dead. The bug also has a thick body, and it was found in Naples, Florida. The reader’s question – or technically sentence fragment – seemed to concern identification, so we’ll try to make some sense of her message, such as it is, and offer a couple of remarks about what she might have found.

brown ceiling worm
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Posted in Pest Worms

Tiny Brown Worms in the Ceiling

A reader wrote to us recently about some tiny brown worms that “came from behind the ceiling.” The brown worms, which are only about three millimeters long, fell onto her bed, which is why the reader speculates they came from the ceiling. It is unclear how many worms she has found, but “2 or 3 worms at a time” landed on her bed, so evidently this has happened multiple times. It is as if her ceiling has a worm leak, although this is perhaps an indelicate way to put the matter since the reader is quite concerned about the creatures. Indeed, she hasn’t slept in her bed in almost a week because of the ceiling worms. The reader asked us if we can help her with “this” (she didn’t specify any precise questions), so we’ll try our best to figure out what she found and identify ways to address the problem.

fungus gnat larvae
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Posted in Pest Worms

Worms or Larvae Under Breadbox in Kitchen

A reader wrote to us recently to ask about some worms that are under the breadbox in her kitchen. The worms, or potentially larvae, are “striped pale green and black,” and when they were discovered under the breadbox, they were in a circle formation. The reader was quite alarmed by the worms and was seeking our input into the matter.