Insects like moths, fleas, and flies can infest your bedroom. Once they lay eggs, those will hatch into white, brown, or black little worms depending on the species. They go through a full life cycle which is known as complete metamorphosis.
Tiny worms in your bed that look like bugs are insect larvae that move by crawling on their bellies. Wash the bedding with warm soapy water and dry them at 120°F for 30 minutes to get rid of them. Do a general cleaning in the bedroom to remove insects that lay eggs.
Here is a detailed table that will guide you on how to get rid of tiny worms in bed:
| Types of bed worms | What they look like | How to kill them |
| House fly larvae/maggots | 0.3-0.9cm long. They are white or off-white. | Wash bedsheets and bedding. Then clean the bedroom to keep flies away |
| Fleas larvae | An adult is 0.2-0.5cm long. They are whitish with pale hair on their body | Steam cleaning |
| Clothes moth larvae | An adult is 0.8-1.2cm long with a brown head and cream-segmented body | Steam cleaning and Vacuuming |
| Pinworm larvae | Eggs from humans fall on bedsheets. Then hatch into white worms that are 1.2-3.5cm long. | Wash bedding, use high heat to dry, and iron before use |
| Carpet beetles larvae | Brown, hairy with stripes on their backs. About 0.1cm long | Wash bedding with hot water |
| Indian meal moth larvae | An adult is 1-1.3cm long, off-white, or cream-colored. | Wash the bedding and vacuum the bedroom |
If you rarely clean your bedroom, there are high chances of finding breeding insects and dead rotting pests. These will attract tiny worms to your bed and bedroom in general.
Causes of tiny worms in bed
If flying insects are in your bedroom, you will likely find small worms in your bedding. Those may also crawl on you while you sleep at night. Even though they rarely bite, some worms, like lacewing larvae, can bite humans and cause skin irritation.
1. House plants
House plants can attract several insects to your bedroom, including lacewings. Most bugs hide under the leaves and on the stem right at the base. Warm areas like your bedding are one of the best targets when they want to lay eggs.
2. Dirty pets
Unclean pets that are never showered and smelly bedding pet bedding will attract worms in the bedroom, and those will also find their way into your bed. Unclean pests will have fleas, and their larvae will look like small bugs in your bed.
3. Fleas
Whe there is a fleas infestation in your bedroom, they will lay eggs that turn into little worms that crawl on your bed. In most cases, fleas at their larvae stage will not bite.
However, adults can bite humans and pets. If you wake up with bug bites on your skin and find tiny worms in your bed, then fleas might be the culprits.
4. Moths
An adult moth lays eggs in woolen thick fabrics so its larvae can find something to eat after they are hatched.
When the females come indoors, they want a safe, warm place to lay eggs. Since your bedding is always warm, brown worms and moth larvae will hide in them, especially when the bedding is never changed.
5. Carpet beetles
Bedding made from animal products will attract carpet beetles because that is what their larvae will feed on. At the larvae stage, they will look like dark or brown bugs in your bed. They crawl and feed on the fabric for survival.
Tiny black worms in bed
Tiny black worms in bed, 0.6-1 inch long, are carpet beetles’ larvae. They are hairy and black with white stripes. Carpet beetles can also be light brown in their early or final stages. They feed on cotton, wool, and furs, which attracts them to your bed.
Female carpet beetles can lay eggs in your bedding because of the warmth. They are sure that the larvae will find something to feed on. After the larvae are hatched from the eggs, they start looking for what to eat. Those little dark bugs will crawl on beddings and sometimes on you at night.
A high infestation will also attract ants to your bed. Ants feed on carpet beetle larvae, and those bugs will definitely attract them. They hide in thick duvets and cotton bed sheets that make up most of the clothing in the bedroom.
Light or dark brown worms in bed are moths at their larvae stage. Adult moths do not feed on fabric; their larvae feed on woolen fur and leather fabrics. They like fluffy duvets that are rarely washed because of the warmth and food it provides.
Tiny white worms in bed
Little white worms that crawl on beds are maggots, the larvae stage of a housefly. They are about 0.75 inches long with a head attached to their long body. Maggots can also appear to be cream or off-white. They can crawl into your bed, especially if you have pets in the bedroom.
Causes of little white worms in a bedroom include;
- Pet droppings
- Dead rats
- Large house lizards rotting under the bed
- Dirty bedsheets
- Houseflies in the bedroom
Bats, birds, or huge lizards can die on the ceiling, and when they start rotting, they will attract maggots. When you have holes in the ceiling above your bed, tiny white worms (maggots) can drop and fall on the bed as they feed on dead pests trapped there.
At the larvae stage, fleas from pets look like small white bugs, and they can fall on your bed from your pets. Pets are one of the major carriers of fleas. Even if they are not showered regularly, they can easily pick up bugs outdoors and bring them to your bedroom.
How to get rid of tiny worms in bed
Cleanliness is the best solution and the first step to getting rid of small worm-like bugs in the bed and bedroom. Remove all the bedding and mattress outside and do general cleaning in the bedroom. When washing the bedding, a washing machine set at 113 °F for 1 hour will kill any tiny worms in them.
1. Soapy water
Fill a large bucket with 4 gallons of warm water and add 2 cups of soap. Then soak the infested bedsheets for 1 hour to kill all the worms. Rinse them with clean water and hang them outdoors to dry. Soapy water will kill tiny worms in bedsheets by dehydrating and blocking their pores.
If you do not have a washing machine, you can get rid of bed worms by washing the bed sheets and bedding with soapy water. This is a sure way of cleaning and removing any worms, especially if you must do it fast when the lights are out, or the washing machine is broken.
To remove worms from your mattress;
- Pour 1 gallon of water into a bucket
- Add 1 cup of soap to make a concentrated solution
- Then deep a clean hand towel
- Remove the towel and wring it to remove exes water.
- Use it to wipe every inch of the mattress to remove worms and eggs.
2. Aerate the bedding
Any dirt and rotting matter thrive in a poorly ventilated area. Worms like warmth and moisture. Therefore, remove all the bedding outside in the morning and let them stay they for at least 7-10 hours for perfect aeration.
If you have large duvets that are extra heavy and you do not want to wash them, taking them outside for aeration will help in getting rid of small worms and bugs in them. Leaving them out in the air for a long time will increase the chances of those bugs falling off.
If it is a sunny day, this will be perfect, and you will need 4-6 hours only to get rid of any worms in your bed. If you can remove the bed as well, it is an added advantage because sometimes, bugs hide in the bed, and taking it outside will increase the chances of getting rid of them.
3. Shower your pets and their bedding
Pets’ poop and urine are major attractions of unwanted bugs. Letting pets play in your bed or sleep by your side means you must shower them. Find time to bathe your pets with commended shampoos that will kill bugs.
Ensure you aerate their bedding and wash them regularly. Have several alternatives for them so that you can change them regularly. This will help in keeping bugs away from your bedroom. Remember, if there are bugs in your bedroom, they will always find their way into your bed.
4. Air conditioning
Did you know that air conditioning can keep away flying insects at home? If not, then you should try it. Regulating your bedroom temperatures during the day before bed can keep insects away in summer.
To keep insects that lay eggs from your bedroom, clean the bedroom, close the doors and windows, and set the air conditioner to run at 65°F for about 2 hours. Ensure there is nobody or pests in the room during that period.
Flying insects hate AC set at low temperatures and will not breed in cold environments. Do not forget to set the AC back to the right temperature, about 78°F, before bed. Naturally, your body temperature is lower at night, and sleeping with a cold AC is not good.
Reference: Extensive research from Oklahoma State University Extension articles on Flea control and Beneficial Insectary on Green lacewing larvae.
Calina Mabel has over 15 years of experience in the field of journalism and communications. Currently, Calina Mabel is the Content Writer for categories such as Cockroach, Ants, Bed Bugs, Mosquito, Rodent, Termite, and Flies on Pestweek.com. She aims to build content for these categories with a focus on providing valuable and accessible information to readers, in order to create the world’s largest knowledge community about Pests.
All content written by Calina Mabel has been reviewed by Emily Carter.