“What is this?” is all Kelly Jo writes about the segmented, white worm-like critters pictured below. It looks to us like the creatures are on a bed post, but that is mere speculation based on the little we can make out from the photo. Without more context, it will not be possible for us to give an exact identification, because the physical characteristics of this creature are so commonplace among worm-like creatures that it could be any number of things. With that said, we do think it is some type of insect larva (given the brown head and segmented body), and we will list some of the most likely creatures it could be, provided Kelly Jo found the creature in her home.

One possibility is that this is some type of moth caterpillar, the most common ones being pantry moth caterpillars and clothes moth caterpillars. The reason these are most commonly found in the home is because they like to feed on items found in homes. Pantry moth caterpillars are, unsurprisingly, found in pantries and kitchens. There they will feed on the dried food goods typically stored in a pantry like grains, cereals, pet foods, and nuts. Signs of infestation include faecal pellets, eggs, and roaming larvae. Clothing moth caterpillars are similarly named after where these guys will be found: on or near clothing. These guys will feed on the organic fibers present in any textile, so they will munch on items other than clothing like bed sheets and upholstery, for example. Signs of infestation include holes in textiles, eggs, faecal pellets, and roaming larvae. If we are correct in assuming these guys are on a bed post, then it is most likely that these are clothes moth caterpillars, as they will gather around their sources of food.

As far as we know, Kelly Jo only found the two caterpillars in the photo, so we are not trying to imply that she is definitely experiencing an infestation, but if this is one of the two types of critters we listed, then she should know her home is prone to infestation; typically these larvae are found in the home because the mother moth laid her eggs there to hatch. We recommend she has a look around to see if there are any more caterpillars, and, if she finds more, to deep clean the infested rooms. Provided that these are clothes moth larvae, the best way to eliminate an infestation of them is to launder any infested items (and any items that were near the infested items, such as clothes that have touched the bed), vacuum any areas around the source of the infestation (the bed), and scour the home for more caterpillars and repeat the first two steps in any room they are found. Kelly Jo might have to launder and vacuum several times over the course of a couple of weeks before the infestation is fully eradicated (provided there is an infestation to begin with).

In conclusion, we think Kelly Jo found clothes moth caterpillars, though this is merely an educated guess based on what we can see in the photo. We hope this helps, and we wish Kelly Jo the very best.

Summary

Article Name

White Segmented Worms are Clothes Moth Caterpillars

Description

"What is this?" is all Kelly Jo writes about the segmented, white worm-like critters pictured below. It looks to us like the creatures are on a bed post, but that is mere speculation based on the little we can make out from the photo. Without more context, it will not be possible for us to give an exact identification, because the physical characteristics of this creature are so commonplace among worm-like creatures that it could be any number of things. With that said, we do think it is some type of insect larva (given the brown head and segmented body), and we will list some of the most likely creatures it could be, provided Kelly Jo found the creature in her home.

Author

Worm Researcher Anton