“I just saw this worm crawling on my shoulder”, writes Mackie about the white organism pictured below. “Do you know what kind of worm this is and where it possibly came from?” She does not provide more context than this, and we have to say that this worm really could be anything. Its shape, coloration, and overall appearance is so generic that it could be any number of different creatures. Our best bet is that it is a caterpillar or a maggot, but it could very well be a beetle larva too, or something else entirely. Whatever it is, we think it probably ended up on Mackie’s shoulder when she was outside: it likely fell out of a tree and landed on her.

There is no real way to prevent things like this from happening, though if one is adamant about not letting such creatures into one’s home, one can always check their clothing before entering their home to see if any such creatures have landed on them. Of course, if Mackie finds more of the creatures in her home, then it is likely that they entered her home in some other way, like crawling in through an open window or door, or through a torn window screen, or even through the vents. To prevent such intrusions, we suggest mending or replacing torn window screens, and installing screens in vents. Likewise, they can come in through cracks in walls and floors, which can also be sealed using caulk or alternative sealing agents.

Additionally, if Mackie finds lots of these in her home, she could be experiencing an infestation. On top of the aforementioned preventative measures, cleaning one’s home is paramount to combating and ending infestations. The best forms of cleaning out an infestation are vacuuming and laundering, as this will eliminate not only larvae, but any unseen eggs. Likewise, consistently throwing trash out in outdoor bins will help combat any infestations of maggots, which typically will infest trash cans where there is wood waste or other organic waste they can munch on. If these larvae are found on her plants, then we suggest spraying the plants with soapy water to prevent the caterpillars from climbing the stalks and leaves, as well as replacing the soil with fresh soil.

In conclusion, we cannot say with any certainty or accuracy what these organisms are, as they are simply too generic-looking to identify. If Mackie wants a more certain identification, we recommend either taking them to her local county extension office, or putting them in a box with air holes with different types of food (some grains, fruits, leaves, and fabric) and seeing what they grow into. We hope this helps, and we wish Mackie the very best!

Summary

Article Name

White Worm Crawling on Shoulder is a Caterpillar or Maggot

Description

"I just saw this worm crawling on my shoulder", writes Mackie about the white organism pictured below. "Do you know what kind of worm this is and where it possibly came from?" She does not provide more context than this, and we have to say that this worm really could be anything. Its shape, coloration, and overall appearance is so generic that it could be any number of different creatures. Our best bet is that it is a caterpillar or a maggot, but it could very well be a beetle larva too, or something else entirely. Whatever it is, we think it probably ended up on Mackie's shoulder when she was outside: it likely fell out of a tree and landed on her.

Author

Worm Researcher Anton