A translucent, “really small” worm-like creature was found by this reader in her home. She states they were “mostly seen in the bathroom sink”, and thus asks if they are ” possibly sink worms?” The worm in question is pictured below. One can see its near transparency, and the dark entrails visible through its skin. Our reader does not clarify how many of these she has found in her home, and what other places she has discovered them in. Nonetheless, we have come across this critter so many times that we can identify it merely by the picture provided: this is a flea larva.

Fleas are ectoparasites, meaning they are organisms that feed on others on the outside of their bodies, as opposed to endoparasites, which go inside their hosts to feed on them. The common flea one finds in urban areas will only feed on dogs, cats and other mammal pets, and not humans: they attach themselves to the outside of the host and drink their blood. If our reader has a pet, she may want to take them to the vet to have them checked for fleas. With that said, the larvae of the flea do not drink blood or attach themselves to the skin of animals. Instead, they feed on loose hair and fur, faecal matter, and dead bugs, making them harmless. Of course, one does not want to keep them around long enough for them to become adult fleas, and the presence of the larva still indicates the presence of the adult fleas.

We recommend that our reader clean her home thoroughly, including sanitizing surfaces (and drains, if the larvae are coming up through them), vacuuming, and even launder clothing (flea larvae can often be found on textile items, as there is a lot of dead organic matter on them they can munch on). If she has a pet, she should pay special attention to the spots it typically spends time in. If this is an infestation, it may take repetitive cleans to fully eliminate the infestation, so our reader should always be on the lookout for more larvae.

To conclude, the translucent worms our reader has been finding in her sink are flea larvae. They are nothing to be feared, but if she has pets, she should take them to the vet, as then the situation is far more serious. We hope this article helps, and we wish her the very best!

Summary

Article Name

Translucent Worms in Sink are Flea Larva

Description

A translucent, "really small" worm-like creature was found by this reader in her home. She states they were "mostly seen in the bathroom sink", and thus asks if they are " possibly sink worms?" The worm in question is pictured below. One can see its near transparency, and the dark entrails visible through its skin. Our reader does not clarify how many of these she has found in her home, and what other places she has discovered them in. Nonetheless, we have come across this critter so many times that we can identify it merely by the picture provided: this is a flea larva.

Author

Worm Researcher Anton