Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> Pests

Multicolored Worms in Closets and Carpet

Likely Carpet Beetle Larvae—Not Dangerous

Tiny, multicolored, wiggling worms under baseboards and in closets are probably carpet beetle larvae. They eat natural fibers. Vacuum thoroughly, wash fabrics, and apply borate powder in cracks. No health risk, but they damage wool, silk, feathers.

Pests: Inchworm Invasion: Identifying and Controlling Cankerworms Naturally; Sticky Floors and Rotten Roots: Saving Indoor Date Palms from Scale and Rot; Tan Worms in Kitchen Sink/Strainer: Need Photo or Sample; Catawba Worms: Control or Sell for Bait; Flat Worm-Like Creatures on Kitchen Floor: Casemaking Clothes Moth Larvae; Green Worms with Orange Heads on Potted Roses: Sawfly Larvae (Rose Slugs) and Organic Control; Building Earthworm Populations in Sandy New Jersey Soil; Growing Oleander (Nerium) in the Philippines and UK: Propagation and Care; Identifying Small Brown Worms in Pond Filters: Harmless or Harmful?; Worms Around Pond Rim: Earthworms or Aquatic Species?

Garden Articles

Tiny Moths in Container Gardens: Fungus Gnats or Pests?

Primitive Flies in UK Home: Damp Soil Breeders

Centipedes in Houseplant Pots: Harmless Nuisance and Simple Removal Methods

Natural Solutions for Rose Sawfly Larvae and Powdery Mildew

Why Carpet Roses Fail to Bloom and How to Fix It

Battling Japanese Beetles on Roses: Effective Strategies from Soapy Water to Systemic Treatments

Carpet Rose Troubles: Pruning and Fertilizer Effects

Plants

Preventing Catalpa Worms (Catawba Worms) on Catalpa Trees

Identifying Tiny White Worms in Carnivorous Plant Water Trays

Rubber Tree Worms: Identification and Local Help

Indoor Hibiscus Pruning and Pest Management for Year-Round Blooms

King Palm Transplant: Loosening a Compacted Root Ball

Identifying a Mystery Seedling: Begonia or Balsam?

Hemlock Hedge Damaged by Hard Pruning: No Quick Fix, Only Patience