“Is there a worm that can live off of fabrics as well as wooden structures?” asks this reader in his submission. “I’ve been seeing damage to wooden furniture as well as drywall and fabrics in our home. There’s also a dramatic increase in the quantity of dryer lint produced when I do laundry. Like I mean an extreme amount. Our clothing and bedding is riddled with holes and loose threads hanging down. There’s also strange markings on walls and ceilings (etc.) that I can’t explain. These weird fuzzy web looking things that appear to be growing out of the wall, I don’t know? Do we have some sort of house pest or is there something else contributing to these issues? I’ve been searching for answers and coming up empty. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.”
Right off the bat, we will say that we will not be able to provide a confident or certain identification of these creatures, as none of the photos our reader sent in depict any worm-like creatures that behave in the way our reader describes and that we are familiar with. On that note, we will say that our reader is likely dealing with multiple different organisms. As far as we know, there are not any worm-like critters that eat fabrics as well as wood, so these are likely two different species. Common pests that feed on fabrics include clothes moth caterpillars and carpet beetle larvae. Clothes moth caterpillars do produce webbing, but the kind of webbing that our reader photographed looks far too intense to be produced by such tiny caterpillars (unless the photos are magnified). Pests that burrow through and eat wood include wood boring beetle larvae and termites, though we have not identified anything in our reader’s photos that looks like either of these critters. In any case, when you think you might have something eating your wood, the best course of action is to consult a professional. Wood-eating pests are no joke: they can chew through the foundations of one’s home and cause significant damage to its structural integrity.
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Now, when it comes to the growths on our reader’s walls, we want to suggest an alternative to this being webbing from a clothes moth caterpillar. This could be some type of mold/fungus. It might also be worth consulting a professional about this, as letting mold grow in one’s home can be very damaging to one’s health. When it comes to the fabric-eating pests and the degradation of our reader’s items, the best course of action is to launder any infested and potentially-infested items: those made from organic fibers like cotton or wool (even if they are only partially made from them!). Likewise, vacuuming one’s home will eliminate any unseen eggs or larvae roaming about.
In conclusion, we are not entirely sure what it is our reader could be dealing with, but from the sound of it, he is likely experiencing infestations of various types of organisms: fabric-eating pests, wood-eating pests, and maybe some type of fungus. We hope this helps, and we wish our reader the very best!
All About Worms is always free, always reader-supported, we don't subject you to ads or annoying video pop-ups. But it does cost us money out of our pocket to keep the site going (nearly 20 years so far!) So your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated! Receipts will come from ISIPP Publishing.
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I’m having the same problem. Pittsville Md I have tons of pics.
Did anyone ever get any farther on this? In same situation.
I’m having the same problems 2 years now
Hi
Nor sure if have same as u, battling for 2 and a half yrs.
Range from
Small White bugs,small black
black bugs, flying hair strands,strands hanging from ceiling, worm like things that resemble thin twigs/bits of grass, orange blobs, lots of thick Web hammocks, liquid/acid damp patches on walls and floor and on me,holes in walls, up my nose,eyes hair and skin , throat, throwing them
up and funny smellinging stools,bites that look like drug tracks,Fluffy bits that act like tumbleweed,coughing all the time, nearly bold from them matting my hair, Small bugs commashaped that bite badly,on end of cigarettes ,in microwave, in fridge,etc, no clothes/bedding as all thrown out.
Used various sprays,spent fortune on rentokil etc, and still got them.
Seem to be on my pets too.
Also in garden on fence/ washing line etc etc.
Disabled and can’t get any help.
Making me physically and mentally ill. ,darent get up or move in my house..large water bills as can’t get off clothes. Sending sample to lab today,let u kno results when obtain.
Exact Same here me and my mom .
Been going through this for a yr and thousands of dollars trying to rid it. And still here . It’s causing blindness in my mom’s eyes and our animals.
I hv went to the Doctors my norm. Doc wasn’t in so they had a nurse practitioner who managed to placevme and my mom in the nut house to call us crazy,(WE BOTH CANT BE IMGING SAME TIME ) she nvr even seen my mother and wasn’t our nurse prac. They refused us medical treatment .
The state of Louisiana even gave us a endocrinologist bc they landed raw sewage off on my lands dug the creek and drained the creek off on the land .
They dug 8 feet rt in front of my house to place new culverts and I had pics of these weird things,not to mention pics of them dumping it all in my land ! That awful 2 face nurse refused to see them. I also had video’s showing something long with my blood in this thing and a head like a bulb.
It’s a bunch of different types of parasites. I hv auto immune disorders and bc of what she did we never get fair medical treatment. Instead they place us in a holding area for ppl who need to be watched til they admit you to the loony Ben. They skip all treatment and rt bk in I go so I wouldn’t recommend going to one bc so many people are hvng thus problems and most Doctors are in denial & see a quick buck. More and more are writing about this bc they have been through the same thing and Doctors want to pretend it’s not a epidemic. My Doctor ,once I saw him ,after I got out literally squinting his eyes as tight as he could and turned his head as fast as he could like a little kid that didn’t want his own dose of medicine. How ever Its up to you if you choose to go to Doctors or hospitals.
You will get more out of the internet ,
Pharmaceutical companies and ppl like us who understands and has done more research and knows what works but identifying what it is will be the hardest part. I just spray every day and it says to spray every nook and cranny until they are gone. I treat it more like headlice. I find it helps better and I dry my clothes that don’t need washing and what does I dry ..wash..dry again.
Paula, I am experiencing the same thing. Have you found out any information? I would appreciate any help.
Omg same same same
Look up gall mites and midges!
These creatures (whatever they are) are completely mind boggling. This looks and from what you describe sounds exactly like what I’ve been dealing with. Except they are not only all over ever surface of my house, they are also all over my body and hair. I’m guessing from using the blankets and clothes that they’ve weaved themselves into. I’m thinking you possibly left that out because is you it’s bothering you physically they won’t give you any feedback. Please reach out me me and maybe we can share what we’ve learned since we’ve noticed these things and have a better understanding of how to get rid of them. My email is xx********@***il.com write something in the subject that will help me know it’s you. Like help with weird creatures AlSO whoever else is dealing with this and reading my comment email me. My name is Katie. And I’m from NY
Unidentifiable hair like worms from allaboutworms.com
Same things since 8 yrs now they don’t like cold and don’t like peroxide. Or Nair
Tj*******@***il.com