Very small white worm
Continue Reading
Posted in Interesting Worms

Larvae in Hot Springs: Are They Dangerous?

We received an interesting and highly specific question from a reader about ephydrid fly (shore fly) larvae, which are a type of maggot that live in natural hot springs. She wants to know if it is safe to sit in a hot springs that is “filled with ephyrdid fly maggots.” Psychologically, she doesn’t mind the presence of the larvae, and she is keen to enjoy the natural hot springs she comes across in nature, but she doesn’t want the larvae to “crawl up places they don’t belong.” She spells out this concern in more graphic detail, citing specific orifices, including a wound on her foot, and we’ll leave it to you to imagine some of the other openings she is concerned with. Are the maggots that live in hot springs dangerous, and will they crawl into places they don’t belong?

woolly bear caterpillar
Continue Reading
Posted in Caterpillars

Are Wooly Bear Caterpillars Safe to Touch and Hold?

A couple of days ago a reader asked us one simple question: “Are wooly worms ok to hold?” “Wooly worms” is one of the names of wooly bear caterpillars, and in fact basically any worm or caterpillar that has “wooly” in their name is generally a wooly bear caterpillar. The reader’s question is slightly ambiguous because it isn’t clear from what perspective (the human’s or the caterpillar’s) the question is being asked, but we are assuming that the reader is curious if it safe to hold wooly bear caterpillars, which is of course related to whether wooly bear caterpillars are harmful or dangerous in anyway. So, we will address all of these questions as we proceed.

millipede
Continue Reading
Posted in Dog Worms

Are Worms that Smell Bad Dangerous?

We recently received a question from a reader about the “horrible stinking odor” her dogs bring into the house after digging around in dirt that contains a worm, caterpillar, or millipede. (The reader technically wrote that she found a “worm/caterpillar/millipede,” so we went ahead and assumed this means that she found one of these creatures, as opposed to a chimerical hybrid of all three creatures.) Even after the reader washes her dogs, the bad smell of the worm (or caterpillar or millipede) doesn’t go away. However, after two hours, regardless of whether the dogs have been washed, the unpleasant odor is gone. The reader wasn’t really concerned about the smell, however; she only wanted to know if her dogs were in danger. So, the rather specific question before us is this: are foul-smelling worms, millipedes, or caterpillars harmful to dogs?

Small brown larvae
Continue Reading
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.