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Posted in Composting Worms Worms Facts Worms Found in the House

White Worms on Carpet are Fly Larvae

“I would love to get identification of these little things I found on my carpet”, writes Stef from Ireland about the white, semi-transparent, worm-like creature pictured below. “I have a dog and I’m worried that she could have worms, but possibly thinking it could be some kind of fly larvae that came in on wood that we bring in for the fire. Any help is much appreciated!” Without wasting any time, we will confirm Stef’s second guess, that these are fly larvae (commonly known as maggots). The white body and tapered ends, with the small black head, points to this conclusion.

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Posted in Worms Facts Worms Found in the House Worms Generally

White Worm Crawling on Bed Could be a Housefly Larva

“This worm was found crawling on my bed”, writes this reader in his submission regarding the whitish, worm-like organism with a dark head pictured below. “I just wanna know if it’s harmful.” Our reader does not provide more context, which in this case would have been helpful. First off, we will say that we think this is an insect larva: the segmentation and body shape indicate this. That said, this critter fits the generic descriptions of hundreds of insect larvae, and narrowing it down to one without more context would be extremely difficult. For example, it’s always helpful to know if our readers have also spotted insects around their home, and what kinds, as well as if the creatures seem to be eating something: has our reader found any holes in his bed sheets? Likewise, how big is the larva?

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Posted in Worms Facts Worms Found in the House Worms Generally

White Larvae on Sink and Carpet are Housefly Larvae

“Please see the larva, it’s near the sink and carpet”, writes Ravi about the cream white, worm-like creature pictured below. “We used to put our carpet outside in the sun for a couple of days. I have a couple of pictures. If you can identify this and let me know what precautions I should take.” Now, a cream white exterior and darkly-colored head is about the most generic physical appearance of a larva: so many species of moths, beetles, flies, and other insects have larvae that look like this. However, given the squared-off rear and tiny, black streak near its head, we think this most resembles a housefly larva, otherwise known as a maggot.

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Posted in Worms Facts Worms Found in the House Worms Generally

White Worms in Bathtub Could be Insect Larvae

“I went to take a bath before work and felt something moving on my knee”, writes this reader about the white, worm-like creatures pictured below. “I grabbed it, thinking nothing of it and it started squirming in my fingers. I found 11 of them in the water with me, and I clean my tub before every bath I take. My boyfriend later that night took a bath, and not a single sighting of one, and I extensively looked! It was small, short, and white with a brown head. Is it me who is infected or my water?” To begin with, we think our reader found some kind of insect larva in her tub, as that is what these most resemble. What species in particular is hard to say, as a white body with a dark head is about as generic a description as you can find of an insect larvae: beetles, moths, and flies all share larvae that fit this description.

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Posted in Indian Meal Moth Larvae Pest Worms Worms Found in the House

A Very Brief Look at Eradicating Infestations of Moth and Housefly Larvae

‘How do I get rid of moth larvae and common house fly larvae in Northwest Georgia’ asks this reader in his one-line query to us. Despite the lack of photographs and context, we will do our best to answer this question.

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Posted in Drain Fly Larvae Worms Found in the House Worms Generally

Creepy Maggots Found in Bathroom Could Be Housefly or Drain Fly Larvae

“Every once in a while I’ll find a maggot or 3 on the floor in the bathroom” says this reader. She asks us if we can tell her what to do, how to get rid of said maggots, and what might be causing them to appear.