“I found this guy in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, Canada. What can I feed him?” writes this reader about the stick-like worm pictured below. At first, we did not see what our reader was referring to. We thought it was just one long branch. But then we noticed that the twig-like object on the right did not exactly match the rest of the branch, and does look like a separate entity. We think this is a stick caterpillar, which is a larva of the peppered moth. They are not the same things as stick insects, which are not worms or larvae of any kind, but a completely different species.

“I live in southern Ontario and I noticed these little guys roaming around my apartment (see picture)”, writes Rachel in her submission regarding the tiny, black, worm-like creature pictured below. “Just wondering if I should be concerned. They seem to just crawl on my floor, the side of my mattress, and on my clothes. I’ve washed everything and swept and mopped the floors, but it’s tough to get them all. I’m just hoping they don’t turn into moths in a couple of weeks if I missed one. I’m pretty clean to begin with (as I live in a small studio) so I’m really puzzled where they came from. Thanks!”

“I found these (see attached video) underneath a paving slab, which was in the middle of a small 2m x 2m bed”, writes Sarah in her submission regarding the bright green worms pictured below. “I don’t think they are caterpillars. There was a big mass of them. Are they harmful? If so, could you suggest some options for dealing with them? I live in Cardiff, UK. Many thanks.” To start with, we have to point out that the video Sarah sent us (from which the screenshot below is taken) is really blurry, which makes it near impossible to make out any identifying information about the organisms other than their general shape and coloration. For that reason, we have to warn her that any suggestions we make as to their identity is not going to be 100% certain or accurate.

At AllAboutWorms.com, we get a lot of submissions about worms and worm-like creatures. This article will briefly outline some of the creatures that belong to the latter group. When we think of worms, we often think of an earthworm. But typically, when we find any elongated creature in the wild that remotely resembles a worm, we also assume it is one. Now, one might argue that one should not get hung up on details, but it also isn’t just a case of semantics. Knowing the difference between various species will determine how you react to a given animal, and will equip you with the knowledge of how to deal with them: are they likely to infest your home? Is your health and safety at risk? Of course, even within the category of animals that are strictly worms, you can ask these same questions, as there are thousands of worm species. But the point of this article is to identify the most common critters which are mistaken as worms, so as to educate people, but also just for fun.

“I found this caterpillar crawling on this rock outside my garage”, writes this reader in her submission regarding the black and yellow creature pictured below. “I live in Central Minnesota. I haven’t been able to identify it and I’m hoping you can tell me what it is? Thank you!” To start with, we want to thank our reader right back for this absolutely incredible photo! It is photos like these that make identifying the organisms we are asked about so much easier. Besides, they make a wonderful addition to our library. And because of this, we can indeed tell our reader what this is. This is a dogwood sawfly larva.

“I found this caterpillar in my garden (Western Cape, South Africa), but have had no luck identifying it”, writes Bradley in his submission regarding the striking, spiky, worm-like creature pictured below. “I tried the Seek app and it identified it as a Crimson Patch, but the colors don’t seem to match in any pictures I’ve seen. It is around an inch long and has distinct orange and black bands on its body. Is it indeed a Crimson Patch or is it something else?” Firstly, we want to compliment Bradley on the fantastic photo he sent in. It will be a welcome addition to our library of caterpillar and worm photos. Secondly, we also want to compliment him on doing his own research and coming up with excellent questions.

“I have looked through your site and can’t find exactly what I’m having a problem with”, writes this reader regarding the tiny critter pictured below. “They look like worm-type things, but they are as small as a needle tip, probably one millimeter long, and they seem to appear out of nowhere. They don’t seem to move while I watch them, and one minute out of nowhere they appear on my body. I’ll include pictures for you below.” Right off the bat, we will have to point out that, because of how tiny the worm is, and how blurry the photo becomes when we try to zoom in on it, we will not be able to provide an identification that is 100% certain or accurate. We understand that, given the minuscule size of the worms, it would have been extremely difficult to photograph these creatures.

“I have had these skinny, slimy-looking worms that are sometimes a pink color and a translucent pink,” writes this reader in her submission. She continues to say that the worms “have basically taken over the outside walls and doors of [her] house.” She lives “in the Heartland, Florida area”, and explains that the worms were found after “all the rain the past couple months. What are they?” She does not attach any photos to her submission, so we must note that any identifications we make here are merely educated guesses, and are not made with 100% certainty or accuracy.

“How do you distinguish oak worms from asp caterpillars?” is all this reader writes in her submission. She does not attach any photographs, but in this case, that’s not necessary. The two creatures she asks about are moth species, and they are actually very different. Sure, they are both defoliators, and eat leaves from the respective trees they are named after, but just appearance-wise, they are night and day, and are very easy to distinguish. So, in essence, our reader made our job really easy for us.

“What is this in the video?” asks this reader in his submission regarding the tiny, red, worm-like creature pictured below. “Pest was very small, probably less than a centimeter. Was found on a roll of toilet paper. In the image, that’s a single square of Charmin it is on for perspective.” Now, despite the minimal context provided, there are some things to unpack here. Firstly, we will not be able to give a concrete answer as to what this creature is, simply because the photo and video provided are way too blurry to pick out the details of its physical characteristics. The most we can do is provide some educated guesses as to what it could be. Secondly, while the video is blurry, it does tell us something about how the creature moves. Its seamless gliding over the surface of the toilet paper tells us that this creature has legs, and is not a worm, but probably some type of larva (if not a millipede or centipede). Thirdly, our reader explicitly states that this is a pest, but does not elaborate on that point. For that reason, we will not assume that it has to be a pest when we suggest possible identifications.

“What is this thin, small, brow/tan, almost greenish inch worm?” writes this reader about the worm-like organism pictured below. “Found it dangling off my cap on a some sort of thread I think, it moves pretty fast. From the US.” Thanks to our reader’s excellent photo and video, but mostly the fact that she names the organism herself, we can confirm that this is indeed an inchworm. Inchworms are any caterpillar of a group of moth species found in North America. They are all characterized by their number and placement of appendages: legs at the front and back, but not in the middle. Due to how the legs are positioned on the body, the inchworm moves as it does in the video: by reaching for something to grab onto with its prolegs, then arching its back while the hind legs catch up.

“I’ve found small, black, almost fuzzy-looking worms on and around the entrance door, the concrete patio at the doorway, and in every room, mostly on the floor!” exclaims this reader in his submission regarding the creature pictured below. “Seems I’ve crushed about a million, flushed a bunch, washed them down the shower drain, sprayed home defense and even peppermint mixed with water, but can’t get rid of these pests! What are they and what can I do to keep them gone? I live in a basement apartment in North-East TN, near the VA., Tennessee state lines! Thank you for taking my question!”

“This was stuck to my daughter’s leg after a day of being outside in the garden”, writes this reader about the segmented, brown creature pictured below. “It didn’t bleed when I pulled it off but was definitely stuck to her. It did curl up when I pulled it off. We are in Connecticut. What is it?” Right away, we have to point out that we will only be able to make an educated guess as to what this creature could be. The reason for this is that our reader’s photo is low resolution and was taken quite far away from the creature, meaning that when we zoom in to try and get a better look at the creature, the details become blurry.

“What is this?” is all this reader asks about the minuscule, gray, worm-like creatures pictured below. They seem to be swarming a laundry basket. Despite the lack of context, and the low resolution photo, we do have a couple of suggestions for that these critters could be. Given their gray coloration and bulbous black heads, these look like newly-hatched armyworms or American ermine moth caterpillars. It is odd that our reader found them on her laundry hamper, only because neither of these species feed on textiles, like the clothes moth caterpillar or the carpet beetle larva.

“Over the last two weeks I have been finding these white worm-like things randomly around the house (stove stop, wood floors, granite counters)”, writes Emily in her submission regarding the array of different-looking organisms pictured below. “I’ve also been finding what I believe are either dried up worms like these, or possibly shedding? There are a slew of other random bits I’ve been finding throughout the house (white grubby things, yellowish crusty bits, yellowish orange smears on cabinets). I’ve had two different pest control people come to look and they keep saying this is “normal house debris”, but in the twelve years I’ve been in my home, I’ve never had this. I do a thorough counter wipe down, vacuum, wet mop each night and I find this “house debris” again in the morning.”

“I saw you have an article about the little black worms/caterpillars with long thread silk and I have a video of what I think is the same thing”, writes Alicia regarding the minuscule, black organism pictured below. “Could you please tell me how to get rid of them and what they are? I am in Perth.” We are not sure what article Alicia refers to, but regardless, we have identified this as an inchworm. The video gives it away: inchworms have a unique way of moving around which is a product of their anatomy. Inchworms have prolegs and rear legs, but not legs in the middle of their body. For that reason, the middle of their back arches as they ‘inch’ forward. They will also typically lift their entire front body (like in the video) and swivel it around as they try to redirect themselves.

“I have these teeny, tiny worms hanging above my kitchen stove top,” writes this reader about the yellow-white, worm-like creature pictured below. “They are so tiny you can barely see them hanging. What are they?” Based on the photo, as well as the location in which the creature was found, we would say this is likely a pantry moth larva, otherwise known as the Indianmeal moth caterpillar. These critters are not directly harmful to humans or pets, so our reader need not worry about her health. That said, when the infest foods, they do render them inedible, as they leave shed skins and faecal matter behind.

“I found other pictures that look like these and you said it was a moth”, writes this reader about the tiny, gray, worm-like creatures pictured below. “I’m interested in knowing what kind of moth larvae they are, and whether wiping it off got rid of them, or if I need to bomb them, hire an exterminator, etc. I’m looking for recommendations on the process and what products would be helpful to ensure they don’t come back. Your site is very helpful.” To start with, we want to thank our reader for the compliment: we always aim to be as helpful as we can, and we hope we can provide that same service to her. Now, there is a lot to unpack here, so we will just address each part of our reader’s submission in turn.

“These worm-like larvae are on the bottom of my koi pond”, writes Steve about the slimy-looking, dark green-gray creatures pictured below. “I live in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. Trying to ID and control as necessary. Thank you.” This photo has us puzzled. Not only do the reflections in the water make it hard to see the worms’ physical characteristics, but they all share this gray-green color which they seem to be bathing in. We can’t tell if this really is the color of the worms, and they match the background, or if they are covered in some kind of slime or sludge.

“Could you possibly help identify this worm/larvae?” asks Gabby in her submission regarding the minuscule, darkly-colored creature pictured below. “I read an article which seems like something similar to what I experienced, but you were unable to identify the worm in that article with the information given. I’m dog sitting this weekend and therefore spending a bit more time in the backyard/ back porch which is cement and siding with a wooden table, and the dogs are on the couches and rugs inside. A day after the dogs arrived we started feeling like something was on us. We even thought we felt a bite once or twice (to be fair we have not seen any actual bites, only felt like something was on us and bit us). At first we thought it was fleas but we never saw any fleas on us or the dogs or the furniture. I finally saw this shortly after coming in from taking them on a potty break. I actually found two of them on my arm and one on the end of a strand of hair. I have not found any more of these on myself, blankets, furniture, or the dogs. My original thought was a baby tapeworm? But I haven’t seen any more in the house or on the animals so I started thinking maybe it was something outside that I carried in. Could you please help? I’m worried about my family and my mothers “other children”: her dogs. Thank you. PS: I apologize my camera has lines in it. It’s the best I could do.”