I have little worms in my home. They generally appear on the floor; however I have found a few in the bathtub, and one in my bed! It seems that there are more everyday throughout my home, and I cannot find the source of where they are coming from. They look like your average worm that you would find outside after it rains, however they are only about an inch long. They are brownish black, with a black end on one side. One of the larger ones even appeared to maybe have legs like a caterpillar. I know they are not millipedes, centipedes, wax worms, or weevils. I have never seen anything like them before. They started to appear about one month ago, but it seems that there are more each day! They do move around, and seems to travel fairly quickly! They do not have any hair, and they are textured, and look, like a normal worm. Help!
Dear Sheri,
All insects that go through complete metamorphosis have a larval form that could be considered worm-like. Some are more worm-like than others. The real question here is which of these larvae are most likely to be found in the home. My guess is the Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) the largest of the pantry beetles. The larvae are worm-like, pigmented, and very smooth. They are sometimes sold as fishing bait and as food for pets under the name Li-Cut worms. They and the adults are fond of flour products found in the pantry, but that does not explain how they wandered into the bed. Another suspect could be the larva of the Click Beetle (family Elateradae) which are known as wireworms. The adults are often attracted to lights which will get them into the house, and the larvae live primarily in the soil where they feed on herbaceous plant roots, tubers and stems. Other types of beetles have larvae that bore into wood, like the Nautical Borer (Xylotrechus nauticus) which often appears mysteriously indoors after hitching a ride in firewood. The larva is about 3/4 inch long when mature and pale dirty brown with an enlargement just behind the head. It bores into the heartwood of dead oak and other hardwoods.