Horsehair worms can be very long, regularly reaching lengths of about a foot (and in rare cases they can be almost three times as long), yet they are extremely skinny, generally no wider than the lead in a mechanical pencil.
Adult worms measure 1/25 inch in diameter and may reach 1 foot or more in length. This is of course not true, but it gives you a good idea of just how much these worms resemble horse hairs. Once the horsehair worm exits the body of an insect, if it does not find another host, this emerging actually completes the life cycle. Our only source of water so far is from a spring on Forest Service Land. Once inside the insect, the larvae slowly begin to grow by absorbing the nutrients that the host insect consumes. That said, because they are not harmful to humans and because they actually kill harmful pests such as grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches, beetles, millipedes, centipedes, snails, slugs, etc., no control measures are recommended. Long ago, people actually thought that horsehair worms were horse hairs that had come alive. They are actually beneficial to have around if you don’t want to encounter as many household pests like cockroaches.So, to conclude, our reader found a horsehair worm, and they can actually be more of a blessing than a curse if their strange appearance doesn’t weird you out too much.We recently moved from the big city to God’s country here in Northern Montana. The horsehair worm can even twist itself into a ball that resembles a Gordian knot, hence the name, When the horsehair worm is ready to exit its host, usually when the host is near or in water, it will wiggle out of the nearest opening. Not surprisingly, insects that are afflicted with horsehair worms tend to die because of the parasitic worm’s presence, although insects can survive if a horsehair worm exits their body before fully maturing.Since our reader found a horsehair worm in his swimming pool, which people presumably swim in, we should note in closing that these worms are nothing to worry about. While commonly known as horsehair worms, Nematomorpha are actually a phylum of parasitoid animals. The parasite makes its way into the body cavity of the insect where it absorbs nutrients from the insects’ food through the body wall. Horsehair worms are able to enter insects because they (the insects) consume the larvae of horsehair worms, which are hidden in small cysts on certain types of vegetation. Horsehair worms are found in swimming pools, watering troughs, streams, puddles, and other damp areas. Unless they are a earthworm that accidentally fell into pool, the worms are most likely horsehair or Gordian worms, which are parasites that develop in the bodies of grasshoppers, cockroaches, beetles and crickets. Horsehair Worms in Swimming Pools September 23, 2010 Horsehair worms or “Gordian Worms” find their way into small bodies of water by way of other insects. Horsehair worms occur in knotted masses or as single worms in water sources such as ponds, rain puddles, swimming pools, animal drinking troughs, and even domestic water supplies. Once the eggs hatch into larvae, they live inside cysts in vegetation — vegetation that is ingested by crickets, grasshoppers and other insects or bugs. She typically lays her eggs in water plants. He took the screen out of the hose as clogs are the norm with this sandy soil, and a horsehair worm appeared…stuck half-way through the screen! They can also be found swimming around in lakes, rivers, streams, garden ponds, and of course, swimming pools. “Gordian worms” because their coiled up bodies look like Gordian knots), which we are fairly certain is what our reader found. Horsehair worms resemble hairs from horses actively moving in the water. They have been spotted emerging from a cricket in the toilet after the insect has been dumped there, and they have even been spotted in pet’s water bowls. Although it is more common to find horsehair worms in bodies of water such as swimming pools and streams, this is not always the case. They do not hitch rides on insects’ skin, wings or other areas of the body. Horsehair worms develop as parasites in the bodies of grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches and some beetles. Hubby pulled it out and brought it into the house for me to look up on the web. If you dare, you can witness the horsehair worm exiting the body of a cricket Horsehair worms can only parasitize suitable insect hosts, so after crushing pests such as crickets, millipedes, or centipedes, the worms will quickly exit the body and crawl for cover.