One of our readers found this “worm” in her daughter’s slipper:

She explained that bugs don’t usually bother her, but since she saw a similar creature in the bathtub after her son’s shower, she is a little concerned. She knows it isn’t a pinworm, but is still curious if it could have come from one of her children. If not, why are these creatures suddenly appearing in her home?

First, we want to put our reader’s mind at ease. We think it is very unlikely that the creature-in-question came from either of her children. However, if she is concerned about her kids’ health, she should bring them in to see a doctor immediately!

Now, on to what we think the specimen actually is. We believe that the “worm” is really a larvae! To be more specific, we think it could be an Indian meal moth larva. Indian meal moth larvae are common household pests. The larvae often end up inside of a household because people bring infested food products into their homes without knowing. Larvae feed on a variety of dry foods like dry pet food, birdseed, bread, dried soup mixes, pasta, as well as cereal. Usually readers find these larvae near their food source, like in the pantry or food cellar. So, we don’t know why the larvae our reader found were in a slipper and in the bathroom. That will remain a mystery!

Now, on to getting rid of the larvae! She must locate which food item is the source of the infestation and remove it from her house. This might require some detective work! If she wants to avoid the hassle, she can simply freeze all of the possible items for one week, which will kill the larvae. Then, she can sift through as she uses the food products and pick out the dead larvae when she comes across them. Even if she accidentally eats a few, she will be fine because the larvae don’t carry or transmit any human diseases!

To end, we believe our reader might be dealing with some Indian meal moth larvae in her home. Although she found both larvae near her children, we don’t think the creatures came from them.