“What are these things?” asks Mary in her submission regarding the swarm of tiny, worm-like creatures pictured below. “They look a little different from the others I’ve seen on your site. First I found a bunch on a spot on my ceiling yesterday. Now today I found a bunch on a windowsill in the room beside where I found the ones on the ceiling in the hallway. Thank you.” Mary sent a bunch of photos, as well as a video, but we have included the photo which we think shows the organisms most clearly, though they are still quite hard to see, as the photo is taken quite far away and the resolution is not the best. Luckily, the video does show the critters up close.

Based on the photo, video, and context, we think Mary has found two batches of newly-hatched caterpillars. Given the locations in which they were found, and their physical characteristics (thin, translucent, gray bodies with bulbous black heads), we think these are either armyworms or American ermine moth caterpillars. Both of these species are moth caterpillars, and past readers have discovered “identical clusters of caterpillars“. They are not harmful to humans or pets, but merely want to feed on plant matter. If Mary has a garden, she might want to move these critters away further than her backyard, because if they are armyworms, than they can prove to be quite the menace, being voracious eaters. American ermine moth caterpillars also devour the plants they eat (mostly trees, shrubs, and hedges), but their appetite is not as varied as the armyworm, so they are not considered quite as big a pest.

The reason these end up in people’s homes is usually just because the mother moth has deemed the person’s home a safe and stable environment for her eggs to develop. Equally, the mother moth could have accidentally ended up in the home and needed to deposit her eggs. In any case, they do not mean to infest the home, so Mary needs not worry about this possibility. What we recommend doing is scooping the caterpillars onto a dustpan and gently moving them outside. This is the best thing for them, as they will not find anything to eat inside a house.

In conclusion, we think Mary found newly-hatched armyworms or American ermine moth caterpillars. They are no danger to her health or safety, but armyworms in particular are a big problem on farms and in gardens, so Mary will want to be wary of that! We hope this helps, and we wish her the very best.

Summary

Article Name

Bundle of Clear Worms on Website are Newly-hatched Caterpillars

Description

"What are these things?" asks Mary in her submission regarding the swarm of tiny, worm-like creatures pictured below. "They look a little different from the others I've seen on your site. First I found a bunch on a spot on my ceiling yesterday. Now today I found a bunch on a windowsill in the room beside where I found the ones on the ceiling in the hallway. Thank you." Mary sent a bunch of photos, as well as a video, but we have included the photo which we think shows the organisms most clearly, though they are still quite hard to see, as the photo is taken quite far away and the resolution is not the best. Luckily, the video does show the critters up close.

Author

Worm Researcher Anton