“I found this bright red worm in my bathroom sink (washbasin)”, writes this reader in her submission regarding the striped worm-like creature pictured below. “1) Should I be worried? Are they dangerous? 2) Did it come from the tap, therefore possibly from the house’s water tank? Or did it come up from the drain? 3) What steps should I take?” To start with, we want to compliment our reader on the fantastic photo, as well as the great questions she asked. They are all fantastic questions to ask when finding a worm, or any kind of unknown organism. In our opinion, this looks like it could be a California blackworm.

The California blackworm is an aquatic worm, which tells us that it likely came up through the drain. We doubt it would have fit through the tap, but it is still possible that there are worms in the water tank. The way that this would come about would be via a leak in the plumbing, something which only a professional could fix. Of course, our reader can still be on the lookout for signs of a leak. If the leak is in the piping underground, then she might experience discolored water, foul-smelling or -tasting water, and/or inconsistencies in water pressure and temperature. If the leak is in the water tank, the presence of the worms might still cause all of these signs, but she might also notice warped floors or walls near or around the water tank. That said, if there was a leak in the tank itself, we would imagine there would be more dire consequences, like not having water at all.

These worms are not dangerous. They live in freshwater bodies like lakes and streams and feed on decomposing organic debris and microorganisms. They also possess the same amazing ability as a lot of species of flatworms: the ability to regrow their body if a part of it is severed. And, like hammerhead flatworms, if they are chopped into multiple bits, each bit will regrow the necessary parts and become its own worm. Additionally, California blackworms reproduce asexually, meaning they do not need a sexual partner to produce little baby blackworms! Now, despite these worms not being directly harmful to humans, it might not be safe to drink the water if they are inside the tank. For that reason, we do recommend that our reader consult a professional to take a look at her water tank, or to look into a leak elsewhere.

In conclusion, we think that the red worm in her sink is a California blackworm. They are not dangerous, but if our reader has reason to believe they might be in the water tank, she should definitely contact a professional to take a look. We hope this helps, and we wish our reader the very best!

Summary

Article Name

Bright Red Worm in Washbasin is a California Blackworm

Description

"I found this bright red worm in my bathroom sink (washbasin)", writes this reader in her submission regarding the striped worm-like creature pictured below. "1) Should I be worried? Are they dangerous? 2) Did it come from the tap, therefore possibly from the house's water tank? Or did it come up from the drain? 3) What steps should I take?" To start with, we want to compliment our reader on the fantastic photo, as well as the great questions she asked. They are all fantastic questions to ask when finding a worm, or any kind of unknown organism. In our opinion, this looks like it could be a California blackworm.

Author

Worm Researcher Anton