“I keep finding what looks to be small worms,” writes this reader in her submission regarding an array of creatures. “But, while walking through my apartment after a VERY thorough cleaning, I felt like I had stepped on a piece of glass. I couldn’t find anything until I swept the area (after already mopping it three times), and what I saw in my dustpan threw me into a major panic attack. I used my Google Lens to see if I could figure out what I was looking at. Every article I could find said it was hammerhead flatworms that I was looking at. The apartments I live in have had a BAD infestation with bed bugs, and I have recently been cleaning up dead bugs and black spots that keep appearing everywhere around my apartment. I have not seen a live one, although I have woken up with bites.”

“I have also been experiencing what feels like an intestinal parasite, as it feels like something is always crawling around on my legs, butt cheeks, and it feels like something is coming out of my rectum, especially when I’m on the toilet. Could I possibly have roundworms coming out of me? And if so, what can I do at home to get rid of them? Could the bedbugs have flatworms and be leaving them? I have found a lot of these but seen no bugs, but have treated for them anyway. In the picture I’ve included you will also see a black spot that I believe is a bedbug dropping. They were all on the same tile of my living room floor beside a bag of clothes I had just set there to dispose of. I don’t understand how these worms got in my home or me. I have no pets and I live alone. I have been secluded from other people for a year. I never go out barefoot and rarely leave my home at all. I do not ever have visitors. Your help would be greatly appreciated, as I can’t stop panicking. And the doctor I went to just looked at me as though I was imagining this. I had specimens, but she wouldn’t even look at them. I have let off bug bombs twice since February 17th, and sprayed and put down diatomaceous earth powder but nothing seems to be working. What should I do?”

Now, there is a lot to unpack here, and we will answer her as curtly as we can, so that we can get straight to the point and not waste any time. First, we just want to note that our reader did not include the picture she mentions, which is why it is not included here. Secondly, we have to address the fact that we will not be able to tell her if she is experiencing a roundworm infection, or any kind of parasite infection. Only a medical professional is qualified and legally able to tell her this, which we are not. Of course, our reader has said that she consulted her doctor, to no avail. Unfortunately, primary care doctors typically do not receive training diagnosing parasites, and a lot of our other readers who have been concerned about parasites have had similar experiences. We recommend she consult a medical parasitologist, as they specialize in this area. To find a medical parasitologist or other health care provider who can actually help, our reader can do one or more of the following:

– Visit our parasite care resources page here: https://www.allaboutworms.com/get-medical-attention-and-tests-for-parasites

– Search for a medical parasitologist in her area using this directory of medical parasitology consultants: https://www.astmh.org/for-astmh-members/clinical-consultants-directory.

– Search for a local parasitologist by doing a Google search for “medical parasitologist (name of the closest big city)” or “tropical medicine specialist (name of the closest big city)”.

Moving on, when it comes to hammerhead flatworms, bedbugs cannot “have flatworms” because flatworms are not parasites. They are predatory worms that feed on smaller invertebrates, snails, and other flatworms. It is possible they are actually hunting the bedbugs: a problem that also needs to be remedied by a professional. Likewise, if she has a bag of clothes that is infested with bedbugs, or something else, then she should dispose of that bag as soon as possible. Otherwise, that infestation can just continue, if not spread to the rest of her home again, from that bag.

Finally, with regard to how worms can come into one’s home: a lot of the time it is accidental. Our reader could have accidentally brought one in from outside on her clothes or shoes. Sometimes the invasions are purposeful, and they can be prevented by mending or replacing torn window screens, and installing screens in vents. Some worms even come up through the piping, which can be prevented by consistently cleaning one’s drains. That is, unless there is a leak in the piping, the signs of which include smelly water, discolored water, and/or inconsistencies in water temperature and pressure. This also needs to be fixed by a professional.

To conclude, it seems like our reader has been dealing with a lot of organisms, most of which we are not at liberty to identify given the potential medical situation they are causing. When it comes to the hammerhead flatworms, we would have happily identified these worms had there been photos of them included in the submission. We hope nonetheless that something in here proves helpful, and we wish our reader the very best.

Summary

Article Name

"Bad Infestation" of Bedbugs and Flatworms Causes Panic

Description

"I keep finding what looks to be small worms," writes this reader in her submission regarding an array of creatures. "But, while walking through my apartment after a VERY thorough cleaning, I felt like I had stepped on a piece of glass. I couldn't find anything until I swept the area (after already mopping it three times), and what I saw in my dustpan threw me into a major panic attack. I used my Google Lens to see if I could figure out what I was looking at. Every article I could find said it was hammerhead flatworms that I was looking at. The apartments I live in have had a BAD infestation with bed bugs, and I have recently been cleaning up dead bugs and black spots that keep appearing everywhere around my apartment. I have not seen a live one, although I have woken up with bites."

Author

Worm Researcher Anton