One of our readers found clusters of worms in her toilet and is not sure they are. She is very concerned about where they came from and what these worms are.  She did include a picture and we have determined that it is a moth fly larva.

Here is the picture:

The moth fly larvae are very small and usually will show up in toilets because of the moisture. They also like to feed on decaying matter inside of the toilet. Moth fly larvae are also found in shower and bath tub drains. They can be very beneficial to the drains by feeding on the decaying matter in the drains.  They can help keep the drains from clogging by breaking down the matter. Once they hit their adult phase however, they can be pests if you have an infestation in your bathroom.

We are nearly certain that if this is moth fly larva, it was already in the toilet when our reader used it. This larvae could have been attracted to the toilet because of its moisture, but also are drawn to toilets because of the bacteria and residue. It is important that our readers keep their toilets and drains clean to keep these larvae out of their bathroom

If our reader is concerned that the larvae could be harmful, it is important to her that she keeps the toilet area very clean and sterilized. These moth fly larvae have clearly turned her toilet into a breeding ground.

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