The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out. The worms take a shower?
March 31, 2017 8:40 PM Subscribe
We have worms trying to break in through our bathroom window - wtf?
We've found multiple worms in the windowsill in our bathroom. The worms are about 2-inches long and look like red, compost worms. They aren't bloodworms, as far as we can tell.
This is a typical cheap Home Depot bathroom window about 7 feet off of the ground from the outside and it has an undamaged screen. It seems like they are living under the sash, but they might be between the screen and the sash. Given how high up the window is from the outside, it is strange to me that they are making the trek to get all the way up there.
The first worm seemed like an anomaly. But now there is just about one a week. Where are they coming from? Why are they going there? How can we encourage them not to? And how are they getting through the screen?!
We've found multiple worms in the windowsill in our bathroom. The worms are about 2-inches long and look like red, compost worms. They aren't bloodworms, as far as we can tell.
This is a typical cheap Home Depot bathroom window about 7 feet off of the ground from the outside and it has an undamaged screen. It seems like they are living under the sash, but they might be between the screen and the sash. Given how high up the window is from the outside, it is strange to me that they are making the trek to get all the way up there.
The first worm seemed like an anomaly. But now there is just about one a week. Where are they coming from? Why are they going there? How can we encourage them not to? And how are they getting through the screen?!
Are they dropping from a nearby tree?
posted by the webmistress at 9:12 PM on March 31, 2017
posted by the webmistress at 9:12 PM on March 31, 2017
I would think that by some weirdness you had a pod under the sash, seems more likely than that individual worms keep coming up there.
posted by flourpot at 10:02 PM on March 31, 2017
posted by flourpot at 10:02 PM on March 31, 2017
Is there a gutter above the window?
posted by Wobbuffet at 10:17 PM on March 31, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Wobbuffet at 10:17 PM on March 31, 2017 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Could birds be bringing them up there? I don't know what birds do when they have worms...
They eat them.
Are they dropping from a nearby tree?
Worms don't live in trees.
I would think that by some weirdness you had a pod under the sash, seems more likely than that individual worms keep coming up there.
Or pods.
And this ends your friendly biologist update on worms!
It might be that you have moth fly larvae. Google them. If not, worms can and do climb very well, especially some kinds of compost worms. 7' is nothing to them.
posted by fshgrl at 10:17 PM on March 31, 2017 [11 favorites]
They eat them.
Are they dropping from a nearby tree?
Worms don't live in trees.
I would think that by some weirdness you had a pod under the sash, seems more likely than that individual worms keep coming up there.
Or pods.
And this ends your friendly biologist update on worms!
It might be that you have moth fly larvae. Google them. If not, worms can and do climb very well, especially some kinds of compost worms. 7' is nothing to them.
posted by fshgrl at 10:17 PM on March 31, 2017 [11 favorites]
I have a feeling there's some rotten wood somewhere near this window that the worms are living in. If you have metal or vinyl siding pull it off to check. The rotten wood could be even hidden inside the wall cavity. Bathrooms create a surprising amount of moisture, or maybe this window was improperly installed allowing for water intrusion.
I think these worms are telling you about a home repair project. I think you will find a lot of them once you find the rotted spot.
posted by littlewater at 3:41 AM on April 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
I think these worms are telling you about a home repair project. I think you will find a lot of them once you find the rotted spot.
posted by littlewater at 3:41 AM on April 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Earthworms don't live in rotting wood walls either. They need moist soil/ plant matter because they breathe through their skin.
I'm becoming concerned about metafilter's lack of earthworm knowledge.
posted by fshgrl at 10:56 PM on April 1, 2017 [5 favorites]
I'm becoming concerned about metafilter's lack of earthworm knowledge.
posted by fshgrl at 10:56 PM on April 1, 2017 [5 favorites]
Just as a point of clarification that's non-contradictory with regard to what's been said so far, worms sometimes live in gutters full of leaf compost and other debris. If there's no gutter, then obviously that's not it, but it's easy to imagine a gutter that hasn't been cleaned for a long time and that tends to spill over above the window, so worms fall out or get washed out at that spot on semi-regular occasions.
posted by Wobbuffet at 11:53 PM on April 1, 2017
posted by Wobbuffet at 11:53 PM on April 1, 2017
« Older Help me plan my Saturday drive in Mass. | "It is in the shelter of each other that the... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by limeonaire at 8:43 PM on March 31, 2017