“I found two of these worms on a sweater I was lint rolling”, writes Allison in her submission regarding the tiny, brown worm-like critter pictured below. “The sweater had been out in my garage in my laundry area before I had a chance to wash it (it’s cashmere so I washed it by hand in cold water). After washing and air drying (which took a few days because it’s been gloomy here), I lint rolled and found two of these worms. I did notice a few holes in the sweater so I thought they were some type of moth larva but from what I could find moth larvae are more rigid and these are moving like worms. I am horrified. What are they?” To start with, we want to thank Allison for the great photos, the best of which we included below. Clear photos like these are always a huge help. We also want to sympathize with Allison: finding unwanted guests in your home, let alone on your clothing, can definitely be horrifying.

“I found this worm-like creature on my pillow today”, writes this reader in her submission regarding the light brown, striped critter pictured below. “I need help identifying what it is, and would like any other helpful info you may have. It has some strands coming out of one end of it. Thank you!” Firstly, we want to thank our reader right back, for sending in her submission to us. Secondly, we want to present our reader with an identification: the worm-like creature she found is a carpet beetle larvae. Unfortunately for her, carpet beetle larvae are notorious house pests which can spawn massive infestations that can damage a lot of the items in her home.

“I have been trying to find someone to identify what type of worm this is”, states this reader in her submission regarding the segmented, brown creature pictured below. “It is possible that it was stuck to my clothes or even the toilet paper, but I found it when wiping. I went to the doctor and the ER and they couldn’t figure out what it was either. I searched the site and found some that look like it, but I’m not 100% sure since this one had markings and I couldn’t seem to find any with similar markings.” Based on the picture alone, we would have concluded that this is a duff millipede. These critters feed on decomposing organic matter such as fungi and algae, and are not harmful to humans. Typically, they live in tree bark or under nettles, but they have been known to invade people’s homes. Like most species of millipedes, they will do this if the conditions outside grow to warm and dry, which is why they typically seek shelter in basements or garages, where it is cool and dry.

“I have found what looks like a skinny, small worm”, states this reader in Queens, New York. She has not attached any photos, but asks that we provide her any information we can give, “which hopefully would include why this happens.”

“I found this on my mattress when I woke up” says this reader about the segmented, orange-brown creature in the photograph below. “I’m not sure what it is? Maybe you know?” asks our reader in her submission.

“I found these in my clothes,” states this reader about the white, oblong creatures in the image below. “I was wondering what they are,” she states, and we will do our best to answer her question in this article.