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Posted in Caterpillars Garden Worms Worms Generally

Brown Worm in Toilet is an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillar

A woman in Maryland found this worm swimming in her mother-in-law’s toilet and hopes that we can help ID the critter. The worm in questions appears to be a mottled brown color, with a segmented body and a yellow band near its head, as well as a pair of eye spots just below the stripe.

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Posted in Caterpillars Worms Found in the House Worms Generally

Unidentified, 1/2-inch Caterpillar Finds its Way Into A Glass of Water

A 1/2-inch worm was found in a glass of water by this man in Albuquerque, NM. From the excellent images sent in, we can see that the worm in question is of a grayish/tan color, is segmented, has six forelegs, eight back legs, and a bulbous black head.

carpet beetle larva on floor
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Posted in Pest Worms

Small Brown Worms Under Bed Sheets and on the Floor

A reader wrote to us a little while ago about a small brown worm that she found in her house. She said she “could find this worm under my bed sheets and floor,” and we aren’t sure is we should take this as an expression of the mere possibility that the worm could be found on the bed sheets and floor, as her use of the subjunctive mood seems to suggest, or if the reader did in fact find the worm under her bed sheets and then on the floor. In any case, she sent a picture of the “worm” in question, which actually looks like a larva, not a worm. More specifically, she appears to have found a carpet beetle larva, which the gods have fated us to write about without end. Below we explain why we think our reader found a carpet beetle larva.

short fat larva
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Posted in Interesting Worms

Short, Fat Brown or Gray Larva in Bed

We received an email from a reader a little while ago about what appears to be a short, fat larva. The larva was in the reader’s bed climbing on her arm when she discovered it. Its color is hard to describe, but it is basically a brown or grayish hue. The reader didn’t actually ask a question, but we are assuming she is curious what she found, so we’ll focus on the matter of identification. What kind of short, fat brown or gray larva might turn up in a bed?

brown ceiling worm
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Posted in Pest Worms

Tiny Brown Worms in the Ceiling

A reader wrote to us recently about some tiny brown worms that “came from behind the ceiling.” The brown worms, which are only about three millimeters long, fell onto her bed, which is why the reader speculates they came from the ceiling. It is unclear how many worms she has found, but “2 or 3 worms at a time” landed on her bed, so evidently this has happened multiple times. It is as if her ceiling has a worm leak, although this is perhaps an indelicate way to put the matter since the reader is quite concerned about the creatures. Indeed, she hasn’t slept in her bed in almost a week because of the ceiling worms. The reader asked us if we can help her with “this” (she didn’t specify any precise questions), so we’ll try our best to figure out what she found and identify ways to address the problem.

larvae in bathtub
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Posted in Pest Worms

Small, Brown Larvae in the Bathtub

A reader wrote to us recently about “a light brown worm-like creature in the bath tub.” We are basically certain the worm-like creature is a larva (or actually larvae since he found several), so we’ll stick with that usage throughout. The larvae have only been found inside the bath, and they are only observed on occasion (i.e., not every day). The larvae are segmented, and they appear to have antennae and hair on their body. What is our reader finding in his bathtub?

larvae with big heads
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Posted in Pest Worms

White and Brown Larvae with Big Round Heads

A reader wrote to us recently about some white and brown larvae with big round heads that she found in her room. By big heads, we mean that the larvae have heads that are large relative to their thin bodies; indeed, the thin bodies combined with the large round heads make the larvae look a bit like lollipops. The dominant color of the larvae is a light brown, but a segment of their bodies is white. The reader found about 20 larvae in her room, and despite extensive searching she has found nothing that looks like the creatures she found. Of course, she wants to know what is in her room, so she asked us if we know anything about the larvae with big round heads that she found.

black and brown larvae
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Posted in Pest Worms

Small Black and Brown Larvae on Cats’ Blanket

A couple of days ago a reader found some small black and brown larvae on the blanket her cats sleeps on. The cats’ blanket (and therefore the larvae) is lying on a hardwood floor in an undisturbed corner that hasn’t been cleaned for a while. The larvae appear to be limited to this corner, and they aren’t found anywhere else the cats go in the house. The reader was wondering what the black and brown larvae are, and specifically indicated that they might be carpet beetle larvae.

Small brown larvae
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Posted in Pest Worms

Are Small, Brown Larvae Dangerous?

Earlier today, we received a question from a mother about a small, brown larvae that was crawling on her daughter. Actually, she didn’t ask a question, but rather exclaimed a couple of things – “Found this crawling on my daughter! Help!” – and sent us a picture of the creature in question. Since she is obviously concerned, we thought we’d answer her right away, addressing what we presume are her concerns, namely, what is the small, brown larvae she found, and is it dangerous or in any way harmful to her daughter.

Larva by dime
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Posted in Pest Worms

Small, Brown Worms on Trash Cans and in the Laundry Room

A reader wrote to us the other day about “little worms all over [her] laundry room,” which is near a closet that holds the trash. The small, brown worms are “all over the walls, the floor, the trash/closet, washer/dryer, even hanging from the ceiling from single thread webs.” However, they are only in this one area of the house, so apparently the worms originated in this area and haven’t spread. The reader is wondering what the brown worms are, why they are in her house, and how to get rid of them.

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Posted in Gross Worms

Brown Larvae in the Cupboard

A reader wrote to us a few days ago about some “fat short brown” larvae she is finding in the her kitchen cupboards. (Yes, she did actually refer to the creatures as larvae, breaking with the common practice of calling larvae “worms,” which they technically aren’t, insofar as “worm” has a precise meaning.) The reader found the brown larvae (which might also be described as black) near a dead mouse, which had recently been killed by a trap. The reader speculated that there might be some connection between the two, a reasonable enough assumption that we will pursue below. Although the reader only found two of the larvae, she was still understandably concerned about them. She asked us what the brownish, blackish larvae are, and if she should be worried about them.