One of our readers sent us a photograph accompanied by the questions “What worm or larvae is this? Should I be worried? How do I get rid of them?” She explained that she does have pets in her home, but she isn’t sure if the creatures could be flea larvae or not. In the photograph she sent there is a lot going on. Luckily, our reader has circled the questionable organisms in white. Here is the photo:

We believe our reader is probably dealing with some type of larvae, but we aren’t sure of the details beyond that. We think the creatures must be tiny, but there is no item in the photo that we can use as a scale to make an estimate of the exact size of the larvae. Our reader also didn’t provide any information on where she discovered the specimens. When identifying larvae, it can be crucial to know if they were found in the bathroom, kitchen, living room, or bedroom. This is because the food sources in those four rooms can differ a lot. Since different types of larvae eat different types of food, this information can be really helpful when identifying larvae.

Since we aren’t sure which type of larvae our reader is dealing with, we can’t provide exact answers to her other questions. We don’t think our reader should be too worried about the presence of these creatures. It is natural for larvae to appear in households sometimes, and they are rarely dangerous to humans or pets. As far as getting rid of them, it is hard to give exact instructions without knowing their food source, but in general our reader will need to thoroughly clean to eliminate any potential food sources for these larvae. She should also be aware of how they might have gotten in her home. Perhaps a window or door is not properly sealed or screened. Effectively sealing tiny entryways to her home will help ensure that she doesn’t continue to find unwanted larvae in her home!

To conclude, a reader discovered some small dark larvae in her home. We don’t have enough information to determine which type of larvae our reader is dealing with. If she is still dealing with these creatures, we encourage her to send us a more detailed photograph or some more information!