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A Larval Lark

.Tripwire..Tripwire. FirmanRegistered User regular
edited February 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
So I had this piece of luggage next to my bed that I hadn't moved for like, months. Because my room is tiny and I wasn't travelling. Today I moved it, and found underneath some kind of larva just chillin' out on the carpet.

This was exactly the trigger I needed to launch me into a hysterical fit of paranoia. At first I thought it was a maggot, and still am unsure. I eat at my computer often, things like crackers or granola or chips, so itty crumbs end up on the floor now and then. I clean, and if they're too small for me to notice I figure I'll just get 'em the next time I vacuum.

I scoured the carpet, thoroughly investigated every nook of the luggage, peeled off each layer of my bedding cautiously, checked underneath the five month old piece of steak I keep under the mattress (IT'S A JOKE) and couldn't find any more.

It was white, a centimeter long, and writhed its ends which made it just sort of flop around. I did some cursory reading on the Internet. Research proved to only fuel my paranoia because a lot of sites like to discuss the worst case scenario, which in this case could be a TYPE OF MAGGOT THAT INFILTRATES YOUR BODY AND BORES ITS WAY OUT OF YOUR FLESH WHEN DONE FEEDING WHAT THE FUCK. But I also read that maggots are fast crawlers apparently? Well this specimen knew I was coming for it and barely flopped a millimeter away.

So. Is this a domestic occurence more common than I realize? If I find one larva, how likely is it there's a scrambly pile of them somewhere I haven't uncovered? Are there ever lone insect spawns, or is there a heap of eggs that could be invisible to me? What is a reasonable extent of investigation? Do I have to go unfold every item of clothing I own? Why are larva so GROSS? Fuck!

I'm scared of going to bed tonight and waking up like this:
1979_alien_012.jpg

sigi_moe.pngsigi_deviantart.pngsigi_twitter.pngsigi_steam.pngsigi_tumblr.png
.Tripwire. on

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    illigillig Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    You should definitely do not look at this video:


    that said, just kill it, flush it down the toilet, and go about your life as if it never happened. bugs exist, and will once in a while invade your space. the good thing is you're much bigger than they are and you can end their tiny lives with no effort

    illig on
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    BugBoyBugBoy boy.EXE has stopped functioning. only bugs remainRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    It could have been a beetle larvae. Check in flour or similar goods. Chances are, however, that whatever it is, it's harmless. Make sure to be extra clean for a while, but you should be OK unless more show up.

    BugBoy on
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    SamSam Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    dude human bot flies are not to be found outside Latin America. The larvae can be imported in human flesh but they wouldn't survive, and definitely wouldn't breed enough to establish a population.

    Just deep clean your place, maybe get some preventive pesticide like Bug-Out.

    Sam on
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    Phoenix-DPhoenix-D Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    The music on that video is hilarious.

    Anyway, on topic- plain white wriggly larvae could be damn near anything. It was probably either a beetle or fly larvae (maggot) either of which was just chomping on whatever leftover crumbs you had beneath your suitcase. Squish it, clean up and chill.

    Phoenix-D on
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    .Tripwire..Tripwire. Firman Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Thanks for the reassurances! So flies can lay shit with only one egg thriving? I always assumed they were swarms like zerglings, and finding one would just be a straggler from a greater source.

    .Tripwire. on
    sigi_moe.pngsigi_deviantart.pngsigi_twitter.pngsigi_steam.pngsigi_tumblr.png
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    BugBoyBugBoy boy.EXE has stopped functioning. only bugs remainRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Well, there are probably more somewhere. Insects lay lots of eggs. Still nothing to worry about.

    EDIT: Somewhere doesn't necessarily mean there are more in your house. Insects sometimes turn up in odd places.

    BugBoy on
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    Sir CarcassSir Carcass I have been shown the end of my world Round Rock, TXRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    autaux?b=M%5ea11f09b8576e606bcb5038dfdb92fb821&u=http%3A%2F%2Fachewood.com%2Fcomic.php%3Fdate%3D08262003

    And vacuum man. You should be doing that like once a week, at the least.

    Sir Carcass on
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    rizriz Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    oh goddd that comic is horrible.

    riz on
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    LemmingLemming Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Where do you live? My family found things that sound like that around our house every so often. We live in the suburbs around New York, and they were just moth larva.

    Lemming on
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    .Tripwire..Tripwire. Firman Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    I'm in Southern Ontario, and yeah I'm starting to suspect it was from something like a moth, though hopefully not the kind that eats into dry foods or clothing.

    I've gone through my room and found no signs of infestation so I'm finally relaxing a bit. It was unsettlingly novel to find because I'm on the fourth floor of an apartment building. I never see bugs in here except for the occasional bathroom crawler, let alone in my bed room.

    Fucking gross ass larva!
    Do we even need 'em?

    .Tripwire. on
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    AstrocookieAstrocookie __BANNED USERS regular
    edited February 2010
    What happens if you eat larva?

    Astrocookie on
    .
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    BugBoyBugBoy boy.EXE has stopped functioning. only bugs remainRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Insects tend to be quite nutritious. You'd be fine!
    (I've done so myself.)

    BugBoy on
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