Continue Reading
Posted in Composting Worms Red Worms Segmented Worms Annelida

Pile of Hundreds of Worms in Crevice are Red Worms

“I was blowing debris by the front door and I blew some pink stuff I thought was fungus from one crack, then when I was about to blow more of it from the other side of the porch, I noticed they were moving”, writes this reader in her submission regarding the mass of red worms pictured below. “There were hundreds of these worms in piles. If they are earth worms, which we do have around here, I will leave them be since they are good for the soil, despite the fact that I am very grossed out by this strange phenomenon and I would prefer they not be on our porch. If they are something invasive or going to turn into bugs, I would like to eradicate them. We have a lot of frogs and toads around so maybe they will take care of it for me tonight. I live in the Central Florida area. Thanks in advance.”

Continue Reading
Posted in Composting Worms Marine Worms Red Worms

Red Worms Under Pool Pavers are Bloodworms

“We have found these worms underneath the pavers around our pool”, writes this reader about the red worms covered in sand pictured below. “Do you know if they are blood worms? Also how do we get rid of them? They seem to be pushing moist dirt up through the pavers. Thanks!” Given the color of the worms and the location they were found, we would say it is likely that these are bloodworms. We cannot say this with 100% certainty, as we cannot really see the physical characteristics of the worms, seeing as they are covered in sand. But assuming these are bloodworms, we will do our best to give our reader the information she asks for.

Continue Reading
Posted in Marine Worms Red Worms Worms Found in the House

Red Worm in Toilet is a Blood Worm

“Is it a blood worm?” asks Almohannad about the bright red, worm-like creature pictured below. He also sends in an excellent video of the “worm [he] found in [his] toilet.” He does not provide more context than this, but based on the photo and the little context he did provide, we would say this likely is a blood worm. The term “blood worm” does not refer to any one species of worm, but is actually an umbrella term for those worm-like organisms which have a bright red color due to the excess amount of hemoglobin they produce, which enables them to sustain for long periods of time in low-oxygen conditions: like underwater. In fact, a lot of blood worm species are marine worms.

Continue Reading
Posted in Gross Worms Red Worms Worms Found in the House

Red Worms All Over Breaded Green Beans

“Found these in the Birdseye breaded green beans!” writes Susan about the tiny, maroon worms pictured below. “Yuck! Are they parasites? Concerned that my family and I have been eating these before seeing!” Yuck indeed: Susan seems to have lived many people’s worst nightmare, finding worms in their food. It reminds us of that scene from Mousehunt where someone finds a cockroach in their food. In any case, we have to tell Susan right off the bat that we will not be able to confirm or deny if these are parasites.

Continue Reading
Posted in Earthworms Marine Worms Red Worms

Clear, Red Worm in Cat’s Water Dish is a Square-tailed Worm

“My mom found this worm in her cat’s water dish”, writes Jade in Atlanta, Georgia about the red, clear worm pictured below. “My mom said that it was not happy to be removed from the water/seemed like it belonged in water. We sent a photo to her vet and are waiting to hear back, but I am very curious what it is, even if it’s not a kitty parasite. Thanks so much! Attaching two photos and a video showing how it moves.” Firstly, we just want to thank Jade for the ample context and the excellent photo and video: they really help us narrow down the possible identifications for a given organism. Secondly, we have to say that, given that this was found in her cat’s water dish, we will not be able to give an identification that is 100% certain, given the possibility that it is related to the cat’s health – which Jade makes clear by affirming that she has consulted her vet. Since we are not medical professionals, we are neither qualified nor legally able to provide advice in these types of instances. Such advice includes making identifications. So, in the case that her vet decides that this worm is tied to her cat’s health, then Jade should disregard any of the information we give in this article.

Continue Reading
Posted in Earthworms Fishing Worms Red Worms

Worms as Fish Bait: A Brief Look

“I am seeking insight into how common it is for fish to encounter earthworms and/or aquatic worms”, states this reader in his submission. “I am aware that fish use a keen sense of smell to find food and are often triggered by movement to prey on organisms.

Continue Reading
Posted in Composting Worms Earthworms Red Worms

Red-striped Worm Found in Toilet is a Red Wiggler

“What kind of worm is this in my toilet?” asks this reader, who sends this photo from Greece. The worm in question appears to be red in color, is striped, and is long but thin.

Continue Reading
Posted in Parasite Worms Red Worms Worms Found in the House

Red-striped Worm May be Bloodworm but Woman Worries About Parasites

“What is this worm?!” asks this reader in the UK about the red-striped worm-like creature pictured below. “Hoping it’s not a harmful parasite.”

Continue Reading
Posted in Red Worms Tiger Worm Worms Found in the House

Red Worms Found in Mobile Home are Indeed Redworms

“This is the second one I have found in our mobile home”, states this reader in Belding, Michigan. She is referring to the minuscule, red worm-like organism pictured below, and wants to know how they are getting into her home.

Continue Reading
Posted in Earthworms Red Worms Tiger Worm

Worm Found Next to Dog Poop is Likely a Red Wiggler, Though Owner Worries About Intestinal Parasites

“Can you identify this worm?” asks this reader about the striped, red worm pictured below. “I found it right next to my dog’s poop.”

Continue Reading
Posted in Composting Worms Earthworms Red Worms

Long, Striped Worm Found in Toilet is a Red Wiggler

“Is this an earthworm that I found in my toilet?” is all this reader writes in his submission. The “earthworm” he is referring to is the long, red-striped worm in the photo below, which is a screenshot from one of the two videos our reader sent in.

earthworm in dirt
Continue Reading
Posted in Composting Worms Earthworms Red Worms

Plastic Waste Harms Not Only the Soil, but the Worms Too

We all know that the trash we throw out on a daily basis has unfortunately played a big role in laying waste to our planet. One material that is especially toxic to our Earth is plastic. Not only does plastic harm our soils, but also the worms in them.

Continue Reading
Posted in Marine Worms Red Worms Segmented Worms Annelida

Bright Red Worm Found in Toilet is an Oligochaete

A red worm was found in the toilet by one of our readers one night. This red worm appears to have sheer skin, is quite long and has a thin body, and our reader asks that we identify it for them.

Continue Reading
Posted in Marine Worms Red Worms Worms Found in the House

Little Red Worms Coming From Tap in the Philippines are Midge Fly Larvae

“Very thin, little red worms” have been coming from this woman’s tap in La Union, the Philippines. She asks that we help identify the critters and provide insight on how to get rid of them completely.

Continue Reading
Posted in Composting Worms Red Worms Tiger Worm

Stripey Red Worm in Toilet in Scotland is a Red Wiggler

A long stripey, red worm was found in a toilet in Southern Scotland by this reader on the first floor of his home. He wonders if we can tell him what it is.

Continue Reading
Posted in Composting Worms Red Worms Worms Found in the House

Long, Striped Worm in Toilet is a Red Wiggler

A worm was found in the toilet of this reader, alive, and she wonders if we could help identify it for her as she is “freaked” out. The worm in question appears to be red in color, with segmented stripes, and a long, smooth body.

Worm in the Shower
Continue Reading
Posted in Earthworms Red Worms Segmented Worms Annelida

Canadian Worms Can Take A Shower Too

One of our Canadian readers’ two-year-old son and her husband had just finished up a shower when they found this…

worms and flood
Continue Reading
Posted in Composting Worms Garden Worms Red Worms

What Happens to Worms in Hurricane and Flood Weather?

As Hurricane Matthew moves off the east coast of the United States leaving flood waters behind, communities are reeling. Did…

Continue Reading
Posted in Red Worms

Eradicating Red Worms From Your Home

We just heard from a reader who seeks advice on keeping red worms from entering her home in Central Florida.

Continue Reading
Posted in Composting Worms Earthworms Red Worms

Reader Discovers Red Wigglers in Landfill

We recently heard from a reader in British Columbia who continues to find some interesting worms after it rains. We can see from the picture that the worm is very long, red, and has yellow stripes (or segments) lining its body. He said that he has lived all over different parts of Canada and has only had encounters with this creature when living in Victoria. What could this be?