We received this message from one of our readers, “I spotted this worm in my kitchen sink. I saw a few submissions on your site that made me think it could be an earthworm or bloodworm, but I wanted to get your opinion.” He sent us two photographs, the one featured above and this one:

Hats off to our reader for reading some articles and coming up with two guesses, both of which are excellent guesses! An earthworm and a bloodworm are both reddish colored worms that could wind up in a kitchen sink. So, which did our reader discover?

We believe that this is a bloodworm! Earthworms and bloodworms can both be red, but earthworms typically have more of a purple or brown hue, and bloodworms are often more strikingly red, like the worm in the photo. Also, the specimen seems too small to be an earthworm, which are usually a little thicker and longer than the creature in question. So, what is a bloodworm doing in our reader’s sink?

Bloodworms are actually midge fly larvae and not worms. Like most larvae, bloodworms feed on organic matter. We reckon this bloodworm is feasting on whatever organic matter was left behind in our reader’s sink, or whatever has built up in the sink drain. He can scrub out the sink and drain using a cleaning agent designed to kill organic matter if he is worried about an infestation, or is anxious about this bloodworm returning to his sink. Since he only found one, we don’t think he needs to go on a cleaning rampage, but wiping down the sink and kitchen surfaces can’t hurt!

In conclusion, a reader found a red worm in his kitchen sink. He did some detective work and we confirmed what he suspected, he found a bloodworm! Although the bright red color of these worms can be slightly shocking, he should know that they are harmless!

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