If you have ever seen a super thin worm wiggling it’s way out of the body of an insect such as a cricket or the nose of an amphibian, chances are it was a horsehair worm. Also called: Cabbagehair, Gordiacea, Gordiid and Gordian Worm, the horsehair worm is a parasite that lives inside crickets, cockroaches, grasshoppers, beetles, and other anthropod pests. These odd threadlike creatures can grow up to 3.2 feet (one meter) and only 0.03 inches (3 millimeters) in diameter. If you have observed the horsehair worm emerging from the body of a larger animal or anything other than an insect, it was probably inside of the cricket, cockroach or beetle that was just ingested by the larger animal. Before we talk about the horsehair worm in detail, let’s talk first about how to get rid of these interesting creatures.
How to Get Rid of Horsehair Worms
Horsehair worms can only parasitize suitable insect hosts, so after crushing pests such as crickets, millipedes, or centipedes, the worms will quickly exit the body and crawl for cover. Unless you kill them right after exiting the body, they parasitize another insect. That said, because they are not harmful to humans and because they actually kill harmful pests such as grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches, beetles, millipedes, centipedes, snails, slugs, etc., no control measures are recommended. If you feel that you have a horsehair worm infestation and they need to be controlled, you can:
- use plain water to get rid of them (you can spray them)
- install a mesh filter or screen to keep the worms from water pumped from a surface supply such as a farm pond or canal
- treat domestic water supply systems by filtering and treating with chemicals under the direction of the local health department
To keep parasitized insects out of your home, you should caulk or seal entry sites. If you kill an insect, make sure you take it out of the home immediately. If you flush it, the horsehair worm will escape from the insect’s body through the toilet. You can also place an insecticide barrier around your house foundation to kill any arthropod pests infested with horsehair worms.
About Horsehair Worms
Horsehair worms belong to the roundworm family and they earned the name because they look just like the thin hair of a horse tail. Horsehair worms are typically dark brown in color, but some are tan, yellow or black. They usually peak during the late summer as well as during the fall months. Finding horsehair worms in odd places is not uncommon. They have been spotted emerging from a cricket on the kitchen floor of homes or in the toilet after a cricket has been dumped there, and they have even been spotted in pet’s water bowls. They can also be found swimming around in lakes, rivers, streams, and garden ponds.
The life cycle begins when a male and female horsehair worm mate in soil or freshwater. The female can lay as many as 10 million eggs. She typically lays her eggs in water plants. Once the eggs hatch into larvae, they live inside cysts in vegetation — vegetation that is ingested by crickets, grasshoppers and other insects or bugs. Once ingested, the cysts dissolve inside of the grasshopper or cricket gut. The parasite makes its way into the body cavity of the insect where it absorbs nutrients from the insects’ food through the body wall. The horsehair worm is so thin that it can develop and grow to its maximum length inside the body cavity of small cricket. However, the usual length of time that a horsehair worm will develop inside the host is 4-20 weeks. Amazingly, once the horsehair worm reaches maturity inside of the host, it can live out the rest of its life from the nutrients and energy obtained from the host. Another amazing thing about the horsehair worm is its ability to manipulate its body into many forms. The horsehair worm can even twist itself into a ball that resembles a Gordian knot. Hence the name, Gordian Worm.
When the horsehair worm is ready to exit its host, usually when the host is near or in water, it will wiggle out of the nearest opening. This is not always the case, however. They have also been known to exit on dry land. Once the horsehair worm exits the body of an insect (and if it does not find another host), this emerging actually completes the life cycle. If you dare, you can witness the horsehair worm exiting the body of a cricket here. Warning: this is not a pretty sight.
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Amazing. So many people affected and no one knows what to do about it. The good doctors keep trying to help and at least refer… The bad ones go to great lengths to make you feel like you’re insane for even mentioning something out of the norm. I had a nurse ask me, “Are you cuckoo?” Kind of a silly question. Like the chicken and the egg, which came first – unappreciated parasites or the mental illness brought on by being gaslighted?
I’m at the point I’m afraid to ask another doctor to help anymore because I see people comment they’ve lost kids over it! Heartbreaking.
I’m going to a new vet on 8/9. If I get any info I will let you guys know. Myself, my daughter and my 2 cats are infested. Its all over my home, even comes out on clothes from the dryer after sanitize cycle. Whatever it is, it’s tough.
We tested positive for a bunch of stuff from the PCI lab, but nothing that is a free-living, motile terrestrial larvae in dauer stage that waves around like one of those wacky windsocks outside the used car dealership and attacks when prodded.
They gave us pinworm meds, 2 rounds of Albendazole 2 weeks apart. Each time black organic matter came out in clumps just hours after dosing. It was very painful and itchy.
I pulled one out of my eye and went to opthamology and she said she could visualize the tracks but no worm, so I, ” must have got rid of it. Just keep your eyes wet.”
I reached out to the extension office. They said they’re horsehair worms. But not to worry, that it’s not a typical parasite of humans.
Okay, so theyre not horsehair worms. But theyre there. They move. They arent hair. And this is clearly affecting too many to not be something obvious or neglected. I have my theories, research, microscope and still no professional has appreciated any of it enough to diagnosr and treat beyond pinworms. I’ll say this – it’s not a good idea to tell a doctor you have something infesting you that hasn’t been documented or treated in humans previously. They become annoyed and dismissive. Just show up and humbly ask, what is this? And if they say it’s nothing, don’t argue. Move on. Apparently no one gets it til they get it.
It appears the neglected “tropical” diseases are lashing out – possibly due to the neglect or perhaps they’ve evolved or joined forces with some ecto or endosymbiont.
With global trade, travel, climate and military literally being stationed right in the middle of endemic areas and coming home to share more than war stories – this is not a subset of delusional Americans sharing hysteria. It’s a subset of suffering humans with no direction.
Whether it’s something American doctors don’t know how to treat or aren’t aware of, I don’t know. But I do hope to share some answers soon. Sending positive vibes to everyone that is going through it. If I have to go back to college and study entomology and parasitology I will. It has to get better. We all deserve answers.
My daughter has them in her house and in her hair…..we need help!!!!!! Surely someone knows how to get rid of them.
HEY SUSAN!
what do you Mean you got your state to DNA test the worm?! Tell me what I need to do to do the same….. Pls.. That seems to be the only answer for help and to show all those @&#$* that we aren’t crazy. Please contact me br*****@ho*****.com
I’m Brad
My name is Michelle. I live in Cocoa Beach. This is going to sound terrible, but I’m so happy to hear that there are other people that can relate to what I’m feeling. I’ll be quick because I could go on forever. It first started almost 4 years ago in the spring of 2018. I cut my foot in a river while hanging out on a sandbar. I thought i saw something move under my skin. I didn’t think too much about it at first until it got more frequent and started to itch . I went to my PCP. He told me i had pinworms, give me some medicine and sent me home. The medicine worked pretty much but after a couple of months I noticed tiny white worms moving around in my eyes nose and mouth. Now I freaked! I went back to my doctor and he insinuated that I did meth. He gave to me the same round of medication he had given me before. This was after a couple trips to the emergency room where they also insinuated I do meth and basically told me I was crazy. I also went through a few bottles of OTC pinworm medicine.This has been the pattern for nearly two years now. My house is infested. They look like white or black hairs between 1 and 2 inches long. They roll into balls with each other and look like tumbleweeds moving across the floor. Finally I was told I have a parasitic infection. I’m set up to have some bloodwork and see a dermatologist. Right now they’re taking a break. I forgot to say that along with the worms i can see a line of eggs. 3 or 4 connected. Im just waiting for them to come back. They’re ruining my life!!! What are they?
Michelle MacDonald
mi**********@gm***.com
Does anyone know how to get rid of them? I think I caught them at the derby Kentucky Derby 2020 to now like everybody else and fest it coming out nostrils wind blow nose people think I’m crazy I think I’m crazy , I pick up medicine tomorrow or some type of three or four days two pills per day medication… what gets them away an out of you
Help please
I have them. I keep submitting dead and live worms and the labs say no human parasite found, but at least my home state did a dna sample to determine it is horsehair worm. Right now my infectious disease doctor is trying to help me, but doesn’t have much to go on. I am trying to document everything I can. I hope science takes a major leap forward and accepts this reality. So many of us need help!
why are we leaving comments and getting no answers, D.R didnt and still dont believe me about these horsehair worms. I almost committed my self to a mental hospital. When I shower, I use a scrub brush. I cake my self in oil which makes them come out, Ive taken baths in lysol, emptom salt also works but theres always more and more. I have holes in my face along my jaw bones, forehead and all my bones and jpoints along all my limbs shoulderblades and spine. I have to get them out of the house before every one else ends up with them. the dog already has them and idk what to do for the poor guy
Dear Tonya – this is a free, non-professional website, offering a free, non-expert, NONMEDICAL service. If you need medical advice we suggest you contact either Dr. Omar Amin at the Parasitology Center at parasitetesting,com or Dr. Vipul Savaliya of Infectious Disease Care (“IDCare”) at idcarepa.com.
My girl friend had thenm in her feet shes tried water but difnt work what else can she try or use to get them out of her ft
Im infested with horsehair worm l got it in Costa Rica..please help!
I have a horsehair worms infestation. How do I get rid of them?
Everything I own is infested with horsehair worms. What do I do? I’ve battled these things for years now and I’m sick of them. Please help!!!
Do flies carry horse hair worms
Hi, I have found a horse hair worm in my pond and I put it in a tub what should I do with it I am worried about my fish cause some are expensive so what should I do?