A woman in Texas has been finding all sorts of critters across her home, including the white, worm-like creature pictured below. Her story is as follows: “Since mid-July, I have dealt with the repercussions of forgetting to leave my A/C on during the day time, and coming home two or three times to see that my thermostat read 90°F or higher. Here is one of the many bugs I’ve come across after. I’m assuming some eggs hatched in the midst of the extreme heat. This particular one I found in my carpet, burrowed upside-down where I can see the butt sticking out from the carpet. Along with others that are along my baseboards, and black, cocoon-type things the size of rice. There have been moths and flies, as well as carpet beetles that are tiny. And long, oval-shaped, brown-with-light-brown patches all around my house (we live outside of town in west Texas, where the dirt blows and the heat/rain brings all the bugs inside). Can you tell me what kind of larvae these are? They’re literally everywhere.”

Now, there is a lot to unpack here, and we thank our reader for the copious amount of context. It really helps us get a grasp on what type of organism our reader might be dealing with. With regard to eggs hatching in the extreme temperatures, we do not think this is the reason the eggs hatched inside her home, as insects usually escape indoors because of the high heat, and because the cooler, more stable environment of a home, provides better conditions for egg-hatching. Of course, it could be that her home became more damp because of the higher heat, which would have provided more favorable conditions for a lot of creatures. Nonetheless, the eggs have hatched either way, and it sounds to us like our reader is dealing with multiple organisms.

Given the context and photo, we think that the worm pictured is a clothes moth larva. Likewise, we think that the “black, cocoon-type things the size of rice” are probably bunched up lint that the larvae have rolled up in their pursuit of food: organic fibers in fabric. Similarly, carpet beetle larvae have the same diet, and our reader mentions finding their adult counterparts (though no carpet beetles or their larvae are pictured). It could be that these “oval-shaped”, brown and beige “patches” she has been finding around her home are actually the larvae of the carpet beetles, as these physical traits are often used to describe them.

Experiencing an infestation of just one of these critters is a nuisance, but we cannot imagine having to deal with both at the same time. Fortunately, they do consume the same thing, meaning they are likely to be found in the same spots. Vacuuming any potentially infested spots is essential, though our reader might just want to vacuum her entire home to be certain. Likewise, laundering any textiles that are at risk (items containing cotton, wool, leather, feathers, silk, and any other organic materials) at the highest temperature they can withstand will eliminate any unseen eggs and larvae. This includes rugs. If our reader’s home is carpeted, and she has access to a steam cleaner, using one after vacuuming will be doubly efficient at eliminating the infestation. To prevent future infestation, make sure all window screens are intact, seal any sizable cracks in walls and floors, and store any unused garments in airtight containers.

To conclude, we believe the white, worm-like creature in the photo is a clothes moth larva, and that our reader may be experiencing an infestation of them, as well as carpet beetle larvae. If hand-picking any of the larvae, we recommend using gloves, or brushing them onto a dustpan, as making physical contact with carpet beetle larvae can cause rashes to form. We hope this helps, and we wish our reader the very best!

Summary

Article Name

White Worm Sticking Out of Carpet is a Clothes Moth Larva

Description

A woman in Texas has been finding all sorts of critters across her home, including the white, worm-like creature pictured below. Her story is as follows: "Since mid-July, I have dealt with the repercussions of forgetting to leave my A/C on during the day time, and coming home two or three times to see that my thermostat read 90°F or higher. Here is one of the many bugs I've come across after. I'm assuming some eggs hatched in the midst of the extreme heat. This particular one I found in my carpet, burrowed upside-down where I can see the butt sticking out from the carpet. Along with others that are along my baseboards, and black, cocoon-type things the size of rice. There have been moths and flies, as well as carpet beetles that are tiny. And long, oval-shaped, brown-with-light-brown patches all around my house (we live outside of town in west Texas, where the dirt blows and the heat/rain brings all the bugs inside). Can you tell me what kind of larvae these are? They're literally everywhere."

Author

Worm Researcher Anton