A reader recently reached out to us from Chile. She sent us a video of a small worm-like organism and asked, “What is this creature that we found in our bedsheets? I have seen many small moths come to my pantry. My new baby girl sleeps next to our bed and I just want to make sure it is not dangerous or the root of a greater problem.” Here is the video:

https://youtu.be/5E49HcfRyRE

The creature is small and appears to have a yellow body, but might be more white or tan colored in real life. It also looks like it has a small brown head. We believe that this specimen is some sort of larva. It could be a pantry moth larva, which would explain the moths in our reader’s pantry, but we aren’t positive about this I.D.

Pantry moth larvae, also known as Indian meal moth larvae, are off-white larvae, but are usually more pink than yellow colored. This small difference in color isn’t enough to rule out pantry moth larvae, but we also can’t confidently confirm this identification. Adult pantry moth lay their eggs in dried food items. The eggs then hatch and the larvae begin eating the food items until they are ready to mature into moths. The larvae crawl and attach themselves to the walls or ceilings to pupate. So, while some clues add up to this being a pantry moth larva, we have never heard of a larva crawling on a bed to pupate. There are also several other species of larvae that look similar to pantry moth larvae that our reader might have discovered in her bedsheets.

We don’t think this creature is the source of a bigger problem besides a potential pantry moth infestation. It doesn’t need to cause a lot of fuss or worry. We think she should investigate her pantry and clean and dispose of infested items to get rid of the moths. That being said, pantry moth larvae aren’t harmful or toxic. If our reader is concerned about the health of her baby, we encourage her to visit a doctor.

In conclusion, one of our readers discovered a small yellow larvae in her bed. We think this could be a pantry moth larva, especially since she noticed moths in her pantry. Getting rid of these larvae requires some thorough cleaning, but their presence shouldn’t be a source of worry.

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