“Can you tell me what this is?” is all this reader asks in her submission regarding the cream-colored, worm-like creature pictured below. Now, since we can only go on the photo our reader sent in, we will have to say that any identification made is not made with 100% certainty or accuracy. Especially in this case: the physical characteristics of this creature are so generic that it could be any number of things, and without the context in which the critter was found, we cannot pinpoint exactly what it could be. What we will say is that it is definitely the larva of an insect, and, assuming it was found inside our reader’s home, we would say it is likely some type of moth caterpillar, and potentially a pest at that.

“I have found several of these worms in the last few days”, writes this reader in her submission regarding the segmented, black, worm-like creature pictured below. “Usually in my bathroom sink. I am in Angleton, Tx. What are they?” Based on the photo alone, we have concluded that this is a black soldier fly larva (BSFL): the shape and clear-cut segmentation of this creature’s body is characteristic of a black soldier fly larva. Not to worry, black soldier fly larvae are not harmful to humans at all. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Black soldier fly larvae are somewhat of a phenomenon.

“This was found in our toilet bowl on its own”, writes this reader about the red-striped worm pictured below. “Do you know if it’s a parasite? Thank you for your website. It’s a really useful website and very informative. Thanks!” To that we want to thank our reader for the compliment, and for coming to us to have this worm identified. And with that in mind, we think our reader has found herself a tiger worm, albeit a mangled one. Like most worm species, tiger worms typically have a uniform shape to their bodies, and we can see how this worm’s body is very irregular. How we were able to tell that this is a tiger worm is by the parts of its body that are still intact. The stripes, coloration, and shape of those parts indicate that this is a tiger worm.

“I found this caterpillar in my garden (Western Cape, South Africa), but have had no luck identifying it”, writes Bradley in his submission regarding the striking, spiky, worm-like creature pictured below. “I tried the Seek app and it identified it as a Crimson Patch, but the colors don’t seem to match in any pictures I’ve seen. It is around an inch long and has distinct orange and black bands on its body. Is it indeed a Crimson Patch or is it something else?” Firstly, we want to compliment Bradley on the fantastic photo he sent in. It will be a welcome addition to our library of caterpillar and worm photos. Secondly, we also want to compliment him on doing his own research and coming up with excellent questions.

“Can you tell me what kind of worm this is?” asks this reader in her submission regarding the pink, and presumably large, worm pictured below. “I found it at the bottom of my toilet. My husband fished it out and put it in a plastic container. Any help you can offer would be hugely appreciated! Thank you!” To begin with, we just want to thank our reader for the excellent photo. She also sent in more, but we opted to include only the best one. They were all fantastic though. Photos like these greatly help us identify the creatures we are asked about. And on top of that, it is far more fascinating to see such creatures in such detail.

“I’m in need of your assistance with the identification of the suspected worm in the short, attached video,” writes Helena in her submission regarding the super thin, black, worm-like creature pictured below. “More information will gladly be provided if needed, and upon your request. Your help is greatly appreciated! As the video shows, it was on me. I’m not suggesting it came from me. When I removed it, the worm had fallen to the floor and I couldn’t locate it to take any other photo or video of it. I’d just never seen anything like it and thought you might be able to identify it as such. If so I’d greatly appreciate your knowledge of what type of worm it could be or who might know, if not yourselves.”

“Can you identify these larvae or worms?” asks Lisa in her submission regarding the white, worm-like creature pictured below. “They were laid on my roller blinds. I’ve been experiencing bites and I’m trying to find the source. Thank you kindly for your time.” Firstly, we must point out that, due to the picture being somewhat blurry, we will not be able to identify the worm with 100% certainty or accuracy. All we can go on from the picture is the worm’s coloration and general shape: no other identifying information is visible, unfortunately. Secondly, we will also not be able to identify the worm based on the fact that Lisa has been experiencing bites, and any suggestions we make as to the identify of the worm will ignore this piece of context.

“Can horsehair worms be killed or exterminated by spraying them with a vinegar mixture?” asks Tom in his submission. “Thank you.” Now, he does not send any photos of any worms, so we assume he is asking as he is generally curious. To answer his question, yes, it is possible to kill horsehair worm eggs with a vinegar mixture, though we do not know how effective it is against the adult worms. With that said, we do not recommend killing horsehair worms, as they are harmless to humans and pets.

“Can you please identify these?” asks Shanan in her submission regarding two, green and black objects, as well as a bug-like organism, all pictured below. “I’ve been living this nightmare for three years now. I just assumed that they were fabric moths and carpet beetles in different stages. I live on an island off the southern tip of Georgia called Saint Simons Island.” At first glance, we can tell Shanan that these are not fabric moths (AKA “clothes moths”) or carpet beetles. We think the green objects could be the product of leafcutter bees, and that the bug is a weevil.

“I found this in my apartment and cannot seem to find anything online that looks similar”, writes Heather in her submission regarding the clump of black and translucent matter pictured below. “Any idea what it could possibly be?” Now, we are not sure if our reader is referring to the black, hair-like objects, or the translucent, ovate objects that seem to be tangled up in the ‘hair’. In any case, we will provide options for what either object could be.

“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.

“I have had these skinny, slimy-looking worms that are sometimes a pink color and a translucent pink,” writes this reader in her submission. She continues to say that the worms “have basically taken over the outside walls and doors of [her] house.” She lives “in the Heartland, Florida area”, and explains that the worms were found after “all the rain the past couple months. What are they?” She does not attach any photos to her submission, so we must note that any identifications we make here are merely educated guesses, and are not made with 100% certainty or accuracy.

“My sister found this in our front bathroom today and we were trying to figure out what it is,” writest this reader about the segmented, black, worm-like creature pictured below. “We live in Western North Carolina U.S. I fished it out of the toilet to get a better look and see if I could figure out what it was. We weren’t sure if it maybe came from her and, if not, where it came from at all. Based on what I have noticed just by watching it, it looks like it may possibly have legs but I’m not positive. Based on the direction it seems to move it appears to breathe through its butt. It is very small and thin, zoomed in it looks like it has stripes along its body but two very distinctive stripes towards the end. Because I had taken it from the toilet I put a dime under the dip cup I had placed it in for size comparison and labeled the mentioned characteristics in the picture.”

“How do you distinguish oak worms from asp caterpillars?” is all this reader writes in her submission. She does not attach any photographs, but in this case, that’s not necessary. The two creatures she asks about are moth species, and they are actually very different. Sure, they are both defoliators, and eat leaves from the respective trees they are named after, but just appearance-wise, they are night and day, and are very easy to distinguish. So, in essence, our reader made our job really easy for us.

“What is this in the video?” asks this reader in his submission regarding the tiny, red, worm-like creature pictured below. “Pest was very small, probably less than a centimeter. Was found on a roll of toilet paper. In the image, that’s a single square of Charmin it is on for perspective.” Now, despite the minimal context provided, there are some things to unpack here. Firstly, we will not be able to give a concrete answer as to what this creature is, simply because the photo and video provided are way too blurry to pick out the details of its physical characteristics. The most we can do is provide some educated guesses as to what it could be. Secondly, while the video is blurry, it does tell us something about how the creature moves. Its seamless gliding over the surface of the toilet paper tells us that this creature has legs, and is not a worm, but probably some type of larva (if not a millipede or centipede). Thirdly, our reader explicitly states that this is a pest, but does not elaborate on that point. For that reason, we will not assume that it has to be a pest when we suggest possible identifications.

“Can you tell me if this is a worm?” asks this reader about the fuzzy, white, worm-shaped creature pictured below. “If so, what kind is it? I found one of them on the floor beside the toilet in my bathroom, and it seemed to be moving a little so I sprayed it with bleach. It was about one-and-a-half inches long. The others were in the toilet and all but one (which was probably about 3 inches long) were the same size. Also there was this little funny looking brown thing too in the toilet, and it was about a quarter inch long. I’m in Sumrall, Mississippi.”

“This came out of my nose”, writes this reader regarding the pink matter pictured below. “What is it? I am in Whittier, CA.” More context than this is not provided, but in any case, we will not be able to identify this worm, given the nature in which it was found. Since it came from our reader’s body, it is possible that this is a medical situation. Since we are not medical professionals, we are neither qualified nor legally able to identify organisms that potentially could be negatively affecting a human’s health. That said, what we can do is point our reader in the direction of some resources she can use to get a medical professional’s opinion.

“My friend’s hot tub hasn’t been cleaned since May”, writes this reader about the gray organism pictured below. “Was looking at it today and there are thousands of these clear, tadpole-like creatures swimming around. I’ll attach a video and picture. I’m from Fife, Scotland.” To start with, we have to point out how blurry this photo is. Because of this, we will not be able to give a confident identification of this creature. We are only guessing that the gray object in the photo is the tadpole-like organism our reader is referring to.

“What is this yellow worm that was found in dead mesquite wood when turning it on a lathe?” asks this reader about the wide-headed, worm-like creature pictured below. “It was about one inch long. There were probably 20 of these in a piece of wood, about one square foot big . The wood came from central Texas.” To start with, we want to thank our reader for the excellent photo she sent in, as well as the context; both of these factors together greatly contribute to making our job easier. With this information in hand, we can more efficiently identify the creatures we are asked about and answer the questions that our readers have!

This reader found “weird, clear-looking worms” in her home, and attached the photo below in her submission. They are “about a centimeter to two inches long. They look like a clear piece of string, all over my clothes and house. They wiggle around and almost have a dot for a face or head.” To start with, we have to say that we cannot see the worm in the photo. All we see is our reader’s thumb and knee. This is likely because the worms are so thin, and are translucent, but nonetheless, without being able to see the worm in the photo, we cannot provide a confident or accurate identification. Of course, we will still do our best to help our reader identify this creature.