“I found a dozen of these on my sidewalk, what type of worm are these?” asks this reader in their submission regarding the long, white, tangled worms pictured below. No further context is provided, but we do have to point out that the photos our reader sent in are just fantastic: it is this level of quality that lets us, as well as our other readers, more easily identify the organisms in the photo. It helps us identify the creatures faster, and it helps other readers identify the worms they might be dealing with. In our reader’s case, we think these could be roundworms or horsehair worms, though given the nondescript nature of the worms’ bodies, it is hard to tell for certain.

“Can horsehair worms be killed or exterminated by spraying them with a vinegar mixture?” asks Tom in his submission. “Thank you.” Now, he does not send any photos of any worms, so we assume he is asking as he is generally curious. To answer his question, yes, it is possible to kill horsehair worm eggs with a vinegar mixture, though we do not know how effective it is against the adult worms. With that said, we do not recommend killing horsehair worms, as they are harmless to humans and pets.

Horsehair worms are one of the most common parasites found in nature, and also one of the most misunderstood. Between the myths that surround them, as well as the vast claims that many make about them, this article intends to clear up any of the misinformation about horsehair worms, particularly their relationship to humans.

“I found this in my sink,” states this reader in her submission concerning the objects that look like bunches of wet hair photographed below. “Can you identify it?” she asks.

“What kind of worm is this?” asks this reader in Dallas Texas regarding the long, thin objects pictured below. At a glance, the photo seems to display hair-like strands of matter that lay scattered around a big twig.

“I’m scared to death,” states this reader, who writes to us in a call for help. After consulting people online, he has been told that he has “horsehair nematomorpha”, even though doctors have told him that it is impossible.

“What are these?” is all this woman asks in her submission to us. She sends in multiple pictures, of which we have included only a few, of what appears to be white, lint- and hair-like matter all around what we assume to be her home.

“I need help please” starts this reader in his query in which he asks for our “thoughts on these” organisms pictured below. The first photograph shows what looks to be a long, thin, dark red worm-like organism tangled in hair and other debris, and the second photo displays what we can only describe as white, cloud-like matter.

In response to a previous article we had written in 2017, this reader writes to us about her experience with a seemingly similar worm. The worm in question, as photographed by our reader, is described as being a ‘black thread-like thing.’

What seems to be a variety of organisms of various appearances have been found by this reader, who sent us screenshots she took from a video showcasing the organisms moving. The first pictures displays what looks to be a collection of brown and/or tan pieces of matter, the second showcasing the worm that “looks like a piece of hair but isn’t”, and the third shows the “fuzzy” “sack” that is taken through the lens of a microscope.

Recently we received a query about a “bug/parasite/worm” that one of our readers in Iowa captured, who went on to elaborate that there are “actually […] two different ones.” The first photograph looks to be some kind of pink creature, with long appendages that snake out from the main body, and the second image showcases what looks to be a tangle of dark brown/black colored worms.

A worm of about 12-inches was found on this woman’s lawn in North-East Louisiana. No photographs were provided, but our reader states that the long worm was “thread-size” and black. She adds that she has never seen a worm like this before.

A woman discovered worms on her skin after using the whirlpool tub at a cabin rental. She describes the worms as being tiny, brown and ‘fishing line-like’.

A concerned mother wonders if this worm pictured below is harmful to her two year old son. The worm appears thin and long, and although its coloration is difficult to tell from the photograph, we would propose that it is pink or tan in color.