“Carpet Worms” are NOT Carpet Beetle Larvae, Maybe Earthworms

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We just heard from one of our readers about some worms she discovered in her carpet. She explained that the worms keep appearing despite her having washed the carpet with a machine. The creatures are cream colored underneath and brown on top. She has also found some dead worms that have hardened. She wonders what these worms are, and how can she get rid of them from her rental home.

Usually when we hear from a reader about worms in their carpet we conclude they are dealing with carpet beetle larvae. However, this is not the case today! Carpet beetle larvae are much smaller, and aren’t a good match for the specimen in the photos. If our reader hasn’t found carpet beetle larvae, then what are these mysterious carpet worms?

We think they could be earthworms. It’s not an everyday occurrence, but we sporadically hear from a reader who has found similar worms coming up through their carpet. In that case, the reader found the worms after heavy rains, and we figured the earthworms had come up through cracks in the foundation to escape the saturated soil. This time our reader didn’t mention anything about rain, so we don’t have any answer for why the worms are suddenly appearing through the carpet.

While we think these worms might be earthworms, we aren’t entirely sure. The description of a cream colored underside brown top isn’t a perfect match for an earthworm. She might be finding flatworms, or another species of worm or worm-like organism.

Unfortunately, we don’t know exactly what these worms are or why they are appearing in her carpet. We think her best bet on solving the problem is removing the carpet to investigate the floor underneath. If any of our other readers have dealt with a similar situation we invite them to comment below.

 

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Summary
"Carpet Worms" are NOT Carpet Beetle Larvae, Likely Earthworms
Article Name
"Carpet Worms" are NOT Carpet Beetle Larvae, Likely Earthworms
Description
A reader continues to find worms in her carpet despite cleaning it with a machine.
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Author: Worm Researcher Dori

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