A reader wrote to us about finding a worm in her toilet. She explained that she noticed the red worm in the toilet after using the toilet. She said the worm was “alive, red in color, and so thin that it almost looked like a string except it was moving a lot.” She wants to know if the worm is from her or from the toilet. This is the picture she sent us:
We are confident that this specimen is a bloodworm and that it did not come from our reader. However, since we are not medical professionals and aren’t licensed to give medical advice, if our reader believes this creature came from her body, if she is worried about her health in any way, or if she is experiencing any strange symptoms then we encourage her to see a doctor as soon as possible. That being said, we believe this is a bloodworm and not a parasitic organism!
Bloodworms, or midge fly larvae, get their name because of their striking red color which is caused by the presence of hemoglobin (a red protein) in their bodies! Like most other larvae, bloodworms feed on organic material. Bloodworms also need a lot of moisture to survive. So, a good home for a bloodworm is somewhere where there is a lot of moisture and plenty of organic material for them to eat. In other words, a toilet is a great home for a bloodworm.
To get rid of these larvae, our reader will need to give her toilet a proper cleaning. She should use a cleaning agent that is designed to eliminate organic material, and a pipe cleaning brush. Once their food source is gone, our reader shouldn’t find any more bloodworms in her toilet!
To sum up, a reader found a red string-like worm in her toilet. We believe this specimen is a bloodworm!
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