
They are also common in Africa and the Middle East. Highly invasive, these creatures can take over a host’s bodily functions, even going so far as to invade the brain of a horse. Many horsehair worms can even grow to be as heavy as the hosts they inhabit. In some cases, the infestation can spread to other areas of the house, such as the attic or crawl space. The worms can also burrow into the soil and cause damage to plants and animals. Horsehair worm infestations can be difficult to control because the worms are so small that they can hide in cracks, crevices, cracks in the bark of trees, or holes in walls.
They are capable of attacking a wide variety of insects and related animals. The immature horsehair worms try to spread their infections. This process is called “transmission.” The worms can survive for months or even years in an animal’s body, so it is important to keep an eye out for them. The worm enters the body through the mouth or anus of an infected animal. The horsehair worm lives in the intestines of cattle, horses, sheep, goats, deer, and other animals. It’s not likely to be life threatening if humans ingest the worms. Horsehair worms are harmless to vertebrates, because they can’t parasitize people, livestock, pets, or birds.
What are the symptoms of horsehair worms?.
What insects do horsehair worms infect?. The reader can also pick out the worms by hand and they should be gone in no time. We just suggest regularly washing and drying it and combing through with a brush or comb. In summary, the reader asked us what to do if she has horsehair worms in her hair. Horsehair worms are also known to collect inside your carpets after a storm where water has entered the home. These worms can be a nuisance in your home because they do like to congregate in the shower, bath tub, or around the toilets. Grasshoppers are also known to be infected by these worms which cause them to die once they have entered their bodies. However, they do kill many other insects that could be harmful to humans or human crops such as beetles, millipedes, centipedes, crickets, and cockroaches. They are seen quite often in states like Oklahoma after tornados and flash floods.Īlthough many people consider these worms to be parasitic, they do not harm humans. They can be seen very frequently after an area has gotten a lot of rain. They will sometimes even make a knot with their bodies that looks like a small ball. They will sometimes squirm and twist in groups of 100 or more. Horsehair worms are considered scary by some people because they travel in packs.