Gray Tadpole-like Creatures Found Swimming in Hot Tub
“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.
Black Worm on Ceiling Could be Millipede
“I found these on the ceiling of my staircase and wanted to know what this is”, is all Niko writes in his submission regarding the black, worm-like creature pictured below. Now, sometimes we do not need a lot of context if the photo provided is good enough. Unfortunately, the photo Niko sent in is quite blurry, and the photo only gets blurrier the more you zoom in. For that reason, we can’t make out any identifying information about the worm other than its color and general shape, and so we will not be able to provide an identification that is certain or accurate. All we can do is provide some educated guesses.
Yellow Worm in Dead Wood is a Wood Boring Beetle Larva
“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!
String-looking Worms All Over Clothes and House
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.
Gray-green Worms on Roof Extension are Crane Fly Larvae
“I have found these “worms” on the roof of my extension”, writes this reader about the thick, grayish green, worm-like creature pictured below. “They only come out when it rains, but there are lots of them! What are they? How can I get rid of them?” Firstly, we want to commend our reader on the excellent photo she sent in, as well as the helpful context and excellent questions. Secondly, we have come to an identification of this creature. We think she found a cranefly larva. Crane flies, typically referred to as ‘flying daddy long legs’ or giant mosquitoes, are neither of these two creatures: neither spiders nor mosquitoes. Which is a good thing! Crane flies are completely harmless to humans and pets.
Worms That Eat Through Walls, Porcelain, Glass, and Humans
“I have the same worm in my house as this woman does in this article”, writes this reader in her submission. We do not know which article she is referring to, but we will nonetheless relay the rest of her story: “It can eat through walls, porcelain, wood, linoleum, tile, glass, and humans. My house is infested. My family and pets are all sick. And my research says that, based on our symptoms, it is some sort of fluke worm. But I can’t get any tests to come back positive for any type of worm, which I guess is normal for this type. They basically have to be tested while they’re still alive, which is absolutely impossible. I was wondering what type of specialist you were referring to in the article to get them out of the house. Because I can’t find anyone that deals with parasites. Not to mention the fact that you only get treated like you’re crazy.”
Orange and Brown-striped Grub is a Carpet Beetle Larva
“Is the grub in the attached video a carpet beetle larva?” is all this reader asks in his submission regarding the orange and brown-striped critter pictured below. Luckily for him, no context is needed in this case. We have identified so many carpet beetle larvae at this point that one look is all it takes. This is indeed a carpet beetle larva. And it is a grub too (a common umbrella term for beetle larvae, or just plump-looking worm-like creatures). Before we get into a brief overview on these creatures, we want to thank our reader for the excellent video he sent in. We do not have many videos showing how carpet beetle larvae move about on a piece of fabric, so to have that, and be able to share it with our readers, is invaluable.
Worm Covered in Sand on Mexico Beach Could be Flatworm or Sand Mason Worm
“I found this guy schlepping along a beach in Mexico”, writes this reader about the creature pictured below. “What the heck is it?” Well, we are wondering the same thing. If it weren’t for our reader stating that there was an organism in the photo, we definitely would have missed it. It just looked like a slightly raised portion of sand. For that reason, there is no identifying information in the photo, since we cannot see the actual worm. That said, it does bring to mind some possible identifications.
“Bad Infestation” of Bedbugs and Flatworms Causes Panic
“I keep finding what looks to be small worms,” writes this reader in her submission regarding an array of creatures. “But, while walking through my apartment after a VERY thorough cleaning, I felt like I had stepped on a piece of glass. I couldn’t find anything until I swept the area (after already mopping it three times), and what I saw in my dustpan threw me into a major panic attack. I used my Google Lens to see if I could figure out what I was looking at. Every article I could find said it was hammerhead flatworms that I was looking at. The apartments I live in have had a BAD infestation with bed bugs, and I have recently been cleaning up dead bugs and black spots that keep appearing everywhere around my apartment. I have not seen a live one, although I have woken up with bites.”
Mangled Worm Needs a Professional’s Eye
“What type of worm/parasite is this?” is all this reader writes in her submission regarding the white and red organism pictured below. From the looks of it, if this were a worm, it would be a pretty mangled one. It has lost the uniform, long shape that a worm possesses, and looks like a blob of tissue. For that reason, as well as due to the lack of context, we will have to say that the identity of this worm is inconclusive. We would not even be able to guess based on the coloration, as it is uncertain if the red color was actually a part of the worm originally, or if it is blood from its mangled body.
Worms Swarming Home After Heavy Rains are Blackworms
“Thin black worms, the size of red wigglers, are coming in from outside under the door,” writes this reader about the critter pictured below. “It’s been raining heavily during the night in Hendersonville, North Carolina. I do not see any legs. I live in a long term care facility and don’t want to see them harmed. Thanks for your help.” Firstly, we want to thank our reader for the very helpful context, which in this case is especially helpful since the photo is pretty blurry. Knowing that it does not have legs rules out a lot of possible identifications and helps narrow down the possibilities. Secondly, we commend our reader for not wanting to see the worms harmed. We know, and understand, that a lot of people’s first instinct when they find worm-like critters in their home is to kill them, even if they are harmless.
Thin Black Worms Could be Horsehair Worms or Earthworms
“May I ask what these are?” asks this reader about the black worms, as well as the single, beige, worm-like creature, pictured below. “Are they all the same? Location: Philippines.” Well, we have to say that the photos are quite blurry, especially the second one of the light brown worm. We can’t make out anything other than its color and general shape. For that reason, we have to say that we will unfortunately not be able to identify these creatures with 100% certainty or accuracy. Of course, we can still try our best to provide an educated guess, though this will also be based on very little as we were provided no context other than that our reader is based in the Philippines.
Striped, Light Brown Critter on Kitchen Counter is a Carpet Beetle Larva
“Just found this on my kitchen counter that had a few closed bottles of vitamins and nothing else,” writes this reader in her submission regarding the striped, light brown creature pictured below. “What is it? Please.” Based on the photo alone, we know that this is a carpet beetle larva. We have covered this critter countless times at this point, so we could spot them from a mile away. There is good and bad news. The good news is that carpet beetle larvae are not harmful to humans and pets (though we should note that one can experience allergic reactions to them that can cause rashes to form). The bad news is that these are destructive pests that chew holes through the textile items in one’s home.
Pink Worms on Dog Blanket are Earthworms
“What kind of worms are these?” asks this reader in her submission regarding the pink worms pictured below. “They are less than an inch long, and there were quite a bit of them. We are from Louisiana. We found them on our dog’s blanket outside which had been in the mud.” We must say that the photo is unfortunately quite blurry, meaning that when we zoomed in to get a better look at the worms, it got even blurrier. Since we can’t make out the finer details of the worms’ bodies, we can just go off their general shape and coloration.
Colorful and Bushy Caterpillars are Tussock Moth Caterpillar and Forest Tent Caterpillar
“Do I need to kill them or let them do their thing?” asks this reader in her submission regarding the colorful and bushy worm-like creatures pictured below. “I am tolerant until it gets to the point where they’re eating plants down to the dirt. If you can identify them and advise me on treatment, I would greatly appreciate it. I live in rural south Texas, Victoria County, zone 9b. The photo on the leaf is about 1”, while the one on the concrete is almost 3”.” Firstly, we just want to point out that the second, three-inch caterpillar looks much different to the first one, so we will treat them as different species. That said, we do think they are both caterpillars.
Hundreds of Brown Worms are Earthworms
“Can you help identify this worm/creature?” writes this reader about the brown, worm-looking critter pictured below. “They are out by the seeming hundreds right now and seem to have a tapered body. It’s raining, 55 degrees. Northwest Arkansas. Pictures attached.” Immediately, we have to say that the photos that our reader sent in were quite blurry, even without zooming in on the photo. This means that when we did zoom in for a better look at the worm, we could not see any of the finer details of the worm’s physical characteristics. For that reason, we will unfortunately not be able to identify the creature with 100% certainty or accuracy.
Rashes Coincide with Carpet Beetle Infestations: a Medical Professional’s Opinion is Recommended
“I’ve had six inspections for bedbugs”, starts this reader in her submission, who goes on to say that all six inspections have come out negative for bed bugs. “For five years, every spring from April to August, I get these horrific bites/rashes, and I can’t figure it out. I do see carpet beetles during this time in the doorways and windows, but I don’t sit on the floor or carpets. They itch terribly! They are also raised as welts. I thought carpet beetles don’t bite, so what the hell could this be? For five years I can’t figure it out, and then it disappears at the end of summer. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.”
Small Black Worms Infesting Home are Drain Fly Larvae
“I have an infestation in my condominiums in Henderson, Nevada”, writes Jennifer in her submission regarding the mass of black, worm-like critters pictured below. “They are parasites and live in the walls, under sinks, even the toilet tank. I’ve been spraying and cleaning everything, and it keeps it bearable, but never gone. I recently found a spider in my front door area, and I think there is a nest of some sort right outside of my house. Please help me if you can.” Right off the bat, we have to say that we will only provide suggestions for the creatures’ identities under the assumption that they are not parasites.
Worms Near Cat’s Butt Look like Leeches, but a Vet’s Eye is Required
“I saw some of these worms in my cat’s fur, near his butt, but I’m not sure if it’s a parasite or just something from my garden”, writes Th?o in their submission regarding the black, worm-like organism pictured below. “It’s very small, like 5mm long, and very lithe. It’s a pinkish color (it looks darker in the picture). It also died (or dried out) soon after I found it, about 10-15 minutes later. We live in south east Asia, where there’s a tropical climate. Thank you for helping me.” To start with, we have to say that, whatever suggestions we make as to the worm’s identity, Th?o should take them with a grain of salt. The reason for this is that, since this worm was found on Th?o’s cat, it is possible that this is a medical situation.
Horde of Dead, Black Worms on Porch are Millipedes
“I have these small, tiny, dead, curled-up worms on my front porch”, writes Len about the black worm-like creatures pictured below. “What are they and how do I get rid of them? I assume they will be worse when it gets warm. I live in North Carolina, on the VA line.” Firstly, we want to thank Len for the great picture he sent us. Pictures like these, taken in great lighting and with a crisp quality, always help us identify the worms we are asked about. Secondly, we have to comment on the sheer number of worms he found, because it is truly impressive, though we understand that from Len’s point of view, it could be somewhat alarming.
