“Attached is a picture of the small tan insects that have a worm-like body, six legs and a black head”, states this reader in his submission regarding the organism pictured below. “They were floating in the toilet this morning and there is an exhaust fan directly above the toilet and may be the source of where they came from. Thanks.” Based on the photo, we think these are beetle larvae of some kind, as they typically have legs even at the larval stage. That said, we do not know exactly which species they belong to, but, in any case, beetle larvae are not harmful to humans or pets, so our reader need not worry about that.

We think our reader is correct in identifying the source of the larvae as the exhaust fan above the toilet. It is highly unlikely that they would have come up through the drain, as beetle larvae would likely not survive in water for that long. Regardless, it is still possible for other creatures to find their way through the pipes, so it is a good idea to keep one’s drains clean. Now, to prevent more beetle larvae — as well as other creatures — from coming through the exhaust fan, our reader may want to consider getting a screen for his fan. He can get one for both ends of the ventilation, to prevent bugs from entering the shaft in the first place.

Additionally, if he really is curious about what species these are, he can put a few of them in a container with some air holes and some food (leaves, wood, and any rotting plant material), and wait for them to mature into pupae, and then eventually into adult beetles. Once they are fully matured, it will be much easier to pinpoint their exact identity. The reason it is difficult now is because these larvae’s appearance is quite generic among beetle larvae, and insect larvae in general. Alternatively, he could also take a few of the larvae to his local county extension office. There, someone will be able to physically examine the critters, so they might have a better chance at identifying their identity.

To conclude, we think that the bugs our reader found in his toilet are beetle larvae. They should be nothing to worry about, since they most likely did come through the exhaust fan. We hope our reader finds this article informative and helpful, and we wish him the very best!

• 
•