“I have read articles on your website regarding this but I don’t think they had exactly what I’m looking for”, writes Julia in her submission, in which she sends the photo of the pink, worm-like creature pictured below. “And if I see one more worm in my bathtub, I might actually move apartments. Well, that’s an exaggeration, but please help. First time this happened was right after a shower. Of course, it’s humid and the bathtub is the perfect breeding ground for many bugs, but this one showed up out of nowhere and it completely startled me. They’re very small, even smaller than my pinky finger, and look black in the photo but actually seem to have a translucent pink exterior and black interior? If that makes sense.”

“They’ve showed up a grand total of four times and it is usually always after a shower, except this time, it was relatively dry in the bathroom and I had kept the door open all day. I sprayed it with some deodorant (I read that aerosol kills worms) and it started wiggling, and from what I understood by looking at it, half of its body got cut off and started oozing a small amount of some green juice and what I think were eggs? They were little black spots. I don’t think they’re fly trap larvae, but they’re so tiny I don’t even know if they qualify as earthworms. My father says that he can’t do anything about it and they just come with humidity, but I’m confused, because so do silverfish, but I don’t see them nearly as much. I have attached some photos. If you would like more information regarding this situation you can let me know and I’ll write back. Please help me identify this worm and, if possible, some solutions to getting rid of it.”

Firstly, we sympathize with Julia: naturally, anyone would be startled to suddenly find worms in their bathtub. Secondly, we want to address her use of deodorant to kill the worms: not only is this not a fool-proof method of killing worms, as it does not contain the same chemicals as insecticides, and thus will not work on many species of worms and worm-like organisms. On top of that, we just don’t recommend killing organisms unless their invasion is causing a huge disruption to one’s life, or if they are negatively impacting one’s health. Since she does not know the type of worm she found, they could potentially be endangered, or be beneficial to the environment. Now, with regard to the identity of the worms, they could definitely be immature earthworms that are hatching in the drain of the bathtub. Thus, when she runs the water, the earthworms come up in the same way that they surface from soil when it rains: they are coming up to breathe. If this is the case, then the little black dots are more likely droppings than eggs.

To get rid of the worms, we recommend moving them outside on a dustpan and avoiding physical contact; even if they are earthworms, unforeseen allergic reactions can occur. To prevent future invasions, Julia should be sure to clean her drains and bathroom regularly, as doing so will discourage earthworms, and other creepy crawlies from entering her bathroom in the first place. Additionally, the presence of worms in one’s drains, especially earthworms, can indicate a leak somewhere in the piping underground. If Julia notices that the water from her taps is discolored, smells weird, or has inconsistent or low water pressure, she might want to contact a plumber, or the appropriate professional, to check this out.

In conclusion, we think it is highly possible that the worms Julia found in her bathtub are immature earthworms coming up for air. We hope we have answered her questions satisfactorily, and we wish her the very best!

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