“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.”

Well, we have to agree with our reader that this sight would gross out and surprise most people, so we totally understand where she is coming from. That said, this is not that strange of a phenomenon, though we are not sure if this will be a comfort to our reader or not. To us, these looks like red worms, a type of earthworm that is popular among reptile and bird owners as food for their pets, as well as among fishermen, who use red worms as bait. Like all earthworms, they like to feed on dead or decomposing organic materials found in nature like rotting fruits and vegetables, faeces, egg shells, and more. When there is an especially good source of food, red worms will tend to congregate around that area to feed, which is likely what our reader is witnessing. So, to keep this area clear of worms, the best approach is to keep it clear of any worm food! It sounds like our reader already does this, but it might be a good idea to clean out the cracks by the front door even more often.

Red worms are indeed earthworms, so we do not recommend killing them. However, if our reader feels comfortable doing so, she can always scoop them onto a dustpan without having to touch them, and move them elsewhere. The frogs and toads should also help control the red worm population so they do not grow to unmanageable numbers. But, in our opinion, it might not be a good idea to leave them where they are if they are right by her front door, as she does not want an accidental worm invasion in her home. That would not be good for anybody: the worms would die in the dry conditions that do not offer them any food, and our reader would be left with a mess of dead red worms to clean up.

In conclusion, the mass of worms our reader found are red worms. They are harmless to humans and pets, and just want to feed on decomposing organic materials in the soil. That said, they are nonetheless unwelcome guests in the home, so if they are too close for comfort, we do recommend moving them away from the home. We hope this helps, and we wish our reader the very best!

Summary

Article Name

Pile of Hundreds of Worms in Crevice are Red Worms

Description

"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."

Author

Worm Researcher Anton