Pink Worm on Bedroom Carpet is an Earthworm

Share the knowledge

“Why did I find a worm crawling on my carpet in my bedroom?” writes Elizabeth about the worm pictured below. “I live in Northern California and we’ve been having a lot of rain, but I don’t wear shoes in this room. There is a sliding glass door a few feet away, but it hasn’t been opened in weeks (it’s winter). I have two chihuahuas under 10lbs but there is no “accident” in the room. Is it a worm? It was moving kind of fast and also trying to dig its head in the carpet. Thank you.” To answer Elizabeth’s second question, this is indeed a worm. In fact, this is an earthworm. We can tell by its pink coloration, segmentation, and the clitellum encircling its middle.

To answer our reader’s first question, there are a number of ways an earthworm could have come into Elizabeth’s property and ended up on her carpet. First, we will rule out the possibility of it coming from her dog. She mentions her two chihuahuas in that regard, but as earthworms are not parasites, they would not have come from their faeces. That said, it is possible that the worm rode in on one of her dog’s paws or fur, and that it was accidentally brought in that way. Alternatively, it could have come in on Elizabeth herself: maybe on her shoe. Although she does not wear shoes in the particular room in which the worm was found, the worm could have traveled from her front door (or a different room) to this one. She has already herself ruled out the worm coming through the sliding glass door, and we suppose earthworms are not fast enough to have been able to come in through the front door in the short time that it would be open when Elizabeth leaves and returns to her home. That said, she does say that the worm was unusually fast, so we won’t completely rule out that possibility.

All About Worms is always free, always reader-supported, we don't subject you to annoying video or ad 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.

CashApp us Square Cash app link

Venmo us Venmo link

Paypal us Paypal link

In any case, earthworms do not purposefully infest homes. There is nothing inside them that is of interest to them, unless there is lots of rotting organic debris lying around her home. They would rather be outside in the soil, eating dead plant matter. It likely ended up in her home accidentally. It would have surfaced from underground because of the rain, and then either Elizabeth or her dogs probably brought it inside unknowingly: it happens! So, in all, Elizabeth should not be worried for herself or her dogs, and we think it will suffice to move the worm outside and call it a day.

To conclude, the pink creature Elizabeth found on her carpet is an earthworm. They are benefactors of the environment, and are completely harmless. We hope this helps and we wish her, as well as her two chihuahuas, the very best!

[Website maintenance provided by Usestrict and we love them!]

 

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.

CashApp us Square Cash app link

Venmo us Venmo link

Paypal us Paypal link

Summary
Pink Worm on Bedroom Carpet is an Earthworm
Article Name
Pink Worm on Bedroom Carpet is an Earthworm
Description
"Why did I find a worm crawling on my carpet in my bedroom?" writes Elizabeth about the worm pictured below. "I live in Northern California and we've been having a lot of rain, but I don't wear shoes in this room. There is a sliding glass door a few feet away, but it hasn't been opened in weeks (it's winter). I have two chihuahuas under 10lbs but there is no "accident" in the room. Is it a worm? It was moving kind of fast and also trying to dig its head in the carpet. Thank you." To answer Elizabeth's second question, this is indeed a worm. In fact, this is an earthworm. We can tell by its pink coloration, segmentation, and the clitellum encircling its middle.
Author

Share the knowledge

Author: Worm Researcher Anton

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *