Worms are certainly one of the last things you expect to see when you peer inside your toilet bowl. Are they a plumbing problem or a health concern? Why are there worms in your toilet bowl, and how do you get rid of them?
If you’ve ruled out health problems in your household and suspect a plumbing problem is to blame, contact a trusted plumbing service provider in your area. They can help you identify the worms in your toilet and help you get rid of them.
If you’d like to learn more about the type of worms commonly found in toilets, keep reading:
How to Identify Worms In Your Toilet
After ruling out that a worm in your toilet isn’t related to your family’s digestive health, it’s time to determine whether it pertains to an issue in your plumbing or sewage systems. Here are a few actions you can take:
Look for Problems In Your Drainage or Sewage
Issues relating to your drainage or sewage can sometimes attract pests like worms. Take note of your drainage and look for signs of toilets and drains being slow to drain. Slow drainage may indicate a clog in the pipe that may attract worms.
You may also notice foul odors coming from drains and toilets, which could mean a buildup of waste in the sewage system or a blockage that could attract larvae or flies that turn into worms. Sometimes, overflowing toilets may also lead to worms when a blockage causes water to back up from the sewer or pipes.
Identify Insects or Larvae
If you suspect worms in your toilet, look for signs of larvae or insects around your toilet. Any drain flies, small insects, or fruit flies around a toilet or drain may mean buildup in the pipes, attracting flies to lay eggs – which can hatch and turn into small worms. You may also notice larvae in the toilet, which are worm-like critters that breed in blocked drains.
Inspect Your Pipes and Drains
The presence of worms in a toilet can sometimes relate to issues with your pipes and drains. As a result, it makes sense to inspect your pipes and drains for leaks or cracks. If you don’t feel confident performing this task, reach out to your local plumber for help.
Look for any visible cracks or leaks that may make it easier for larvae and insects to enter your plumbing from the surrounding environment. You may also like to look for standing water in your bathroom that could point to a potential plumbing issue attracting pests. If you find problems with your pipes or drains, contact a trusted plumbing service provider for help fixing them.
Look At Other Drains
If there are worms in your toilet, you may also find worms elsewhere. Inspect your sinks, bathtubs, and other drains. If you see worms in other drains, you may have a plumbing or sewage issue with trapped wastewater attracting pest critters like worms.
What Worms Are In My Toilet?
You might have positively identified worms in your toilet with or without the help of experts in plumbing services, but do you know what type of worms are in your toilet? Below, you can learn about some of the most common worm types as well as how to get rid of worms in your toilet:
Bloodworms In My Toilet
Bloodworms are long, thin, bright red worms that get their name from the hemoglobin in their bodies. They are the larvae of drain flies and typically grow up to around three inches.
If you’re going to find bloodworms anywhere, it will often be near water sources in homes, such as bathtubs, toilets, and sinks. These worms prefer environments with stagnant water and organic matter, which is why they are commonly found in toilets that are rarely used.
How Do I Get Rid of Bloodworms In My Toilet?
Identifying a bloodworm in a toilet can put you on the path to giving them their marching orders. Think about their ideal environment: stagnant water and organic matter. Remove the worms from your toilet and clean it to remove organic matter, and it’s no longer a perfect living environment for them. If you’re still struggling with seeing a red worm in your toilet after cleaning it, contact a local plumbing professional for advice.
Earthworms In My Toilet
Earthworms are long brown or pinkish worms, typically around a few inches long, but can grow as long as 14 inches. They are snake-like and slimy, and most homeowners don’t want to see them inside their toilets! Yet, this is where many people find them.
An earthworm in a toilet can generally be a sign of a cracked sewer pipe that can require the sewer line repair services of an expert. When a sewer pipe is broken, it can let foreign bodies, worms, and other pest creatures into your home. As long as the water in your toilet has oxygen in it, they will absorb it into their skin and stay alive while in your toilet.
How Do I Get Rid of Earthworms In My Toilet?
Since a cracked sewer pipe can be among the most common reasons for earthworms to be in a toilet, sewer system repair is likely the best solution. Contact a trusted plumber in your area who will likely use a sewer inspection camera to find any blockages, imperfections, and cracks in your sewer pipes.
Once your preferred plumbing company has found the source of the problem, they can provide sewer repair services and prevent earthworms from making an appearance in the same way.
Horsehair Worms In My Toilet
Finding a horsehair worm in your toilet can be unsettling. They are long, black worms around the same thickness of a horse’s hair, and they are commonly observed as multiple worms knotted into a ball.
In most situations, horsehair worms can end up in toilets after being ingested as a string of eggs in ponds by insects like cockroaches and crickets.
How Do I Get Rid of Horsehair Worms In My Toilet?
The good news is that horsehair worms in toilets are not very common. Out of all the worm types to find in your toilet, you’re the least likely to find these ones!
Often, horsehair worms appear during the colder months of the year when insects venture into houses for warmth. If you ensure your property is sealed year-round, horsehair worms in your toilet may not be an issue you encounter.
Drain Fly Larvae – Small Black Worms In My Toilet
If you spot small black worms in your toilet, these are most likely drain fly larvae. Drain fly larvae are pests that feast on decaying matter and sewage. As a result, it’s not all that unexpected that homeowners find them in their toilets!
In most situations, adult females will lay significant clusters of eggs, which is why you may spot multiple little black worms in your toilet. As unsettling as it can be to see small black worms in a toilet bowl, they are straightforward to get rid of.
How Do I Get Rid of Dry Fly Larvae In My Toilet?
Cleaning your toilet is likely the most effective way to say goodbye to drain fly larvae since they are drawn to decaying matter and sewage. Use a gentle drain cleaning product, such as baking soda and vinegar, and thoroughly clean your toilet. Don’t forget to clean inside your toilet tank and under the toilet bowl rim. The more thorough you are, the easier it might be to say goodbye to drain fly larvae for good.
How to Prevent Worms In Your Toilet
Most homeowners and business owners don’t want to be researching ‘plumber near me’ and calling an emergency plumber every time they spot worms in their toilet. The good news is that, in most situations, you can prevent worms in your toilet. You may like to take some of these preventative measures:
Identify and Rectify Plumbing Problems
A number of plumbing problems can explain why there are worms in your toilet. By looking for these problems and solving them with the help of the best plumber in your area, you may say goodbye to your wormy woes for good.
Start by looking for a pipe leak since worms can sometimes enter toilets through pipe leaks. Most plumbers can identify a leaking pipe and provide fast plumbing solutions.
After ruling out a pipe leak or confirming that your pipes are leaking, start inspecting for clogged drains and sewer line problems. A slow-moving or clogged drain deep in pipes can create ideal living environments for worms. A sewer line problem involving damage or a clog that leads to waste backing up may also bring pests like worms into your toilet.
Ensure Adequate Bathroom Ventilation
While you might not have a bathroom remodel on your to-do list just yet, you may consider a few bathroom changes if inadequate ventilation is to blame for your worm problem. Poor ventilation can sometimes create extra humidity, creating an ideal breeding ground for pest creatures.
There are several actions you can take to solve this problem, such as:
- Open windows for better airflow and to reduce moisture buildup
- Install exhaust fans
- Clean existing exhaust fans
Perform Regular Toilet Cleaning
Cleaning your toilet may not be your favorite chore, but it can be necessary for preventing pests like worms from making themselves at home in your bathroom and toilet. Clean the toilet and surrounding areas with disinfectants to remove organic matter that might attract the worms.
Scrubbing your toilet bowl, floor, and surrounding pipes can also be crucial to stop larvae or worm eggs from settling and hatching.
Seal Possible Entry Points
Insects can sometimes venture into properties through the smallest of gaps. If you’re experiencing frequent unwanted visitors, consider whether gaps around your toilet and bathroom could be to blame.
Look for gaps and cracks around the base of your toilet and other possible entry points. Check to see if the toilet seat is tight-fitting and there are no gaps large enough for worms and insects to get in.
Take Care Of Your Septic System
If you have a septic system, make its maintenance your priority. You may then prevent septic tank worms in your toilet. Hire businesses offering septic system services to pump your septic tank and check for any problems. Regular septic tank pumping and maintenance can help prevent clogs and other possible issues that may attract worms.
It may also be worth ensuring your septic tank isn’t in a high-moisture area. The more moisture that is present, the more pests may be attracted to it and attempt to enter your property.
Treat the Surrounding Environment
Having a well-maintained plumbing system can be crucial if you live in a damp and humid environment. Otherwise, your chances of seeing worms in your toilet may be greater. Where possible, inspect and treat the environment surrounding your toilet.
Try to keep the area around your toilet dry and clean. You may also see the value in pest control measures outside your home if you have large worm populations due to the climate.
Plumbing Business Near Me: Contact Mr. Rooter Plumbing to Address Worms In Your Toilet
It’s never nice peering into your toilet bowl and seeing worms. Not only are these wriggly creatures in the wrong place, but they can also indicate problems with your sewer and plumbing systems.
The good news is that you don’t have to put up with worms for long. Contact a Mr. Rooter Plumbing business near you to receive comprehensive plumbing services.
Whether your worm problems are caused by a broken sewer pipe, a clogged pipe, a gap around your toilet, or something else, your local plumbing service provider can get to the bottom of it and help you say goodbye to your wormy woes as quickly as possible. Call us today or request an appointment or job estimate online.
Why Choose Mr. Rooter Plumbing?
Look no further than Mr. Rooter Plumbing in your area when you need plumber services you can rely on. Mr. Rooter Plumbing is a trusted name in the industry for a range of standout reasons, including:
- Licensed and insured plumbing service providers
- Workmanship and parts guaranteed
- 50+ years of industry experience
- Courtesy and professionalism
- Locally owned and operated
- Upfront, flat-rate pricing and in-home estimates*
*Not available in all locations. Please contact your local Mr. Rooter Plumbing to find out more.
