We believe the small black worms our reader noticed hanging from her ceiling are inchworms! These larvae are harmless and can be eliminated by cleaning…there is no need for her to call an exterminator!

A reader recently wrote to us asking how to control the inchworm infestation of their oak tree. Inchworms (commonly written as “inch worms”) are known to infest vegetation such as trees and shrubs, making them a pest for landscapers, farmers, and gardeners. First, we’ll discuss what inchworms are – answering the question “what is an inchworm?” – and then we’ll move onto the question of controlling an inchworm infestation.