What IS this?

[AdoreMyDogs]

Lol it's a harmless meal worm. The only thing that is in danger is the pile of Quaker Oats and maybe the slice of apple laying around

[buttercup132]

Definately a meal worm. Shame you didn't have any geckos or bearded dragons for pets. They love 'em!

That's what I was thinking. When I had repis I would love to have found a nice juicy FREE meal worm. Those things can get expensive.
BOBSDAD you seem to have gotten very immature latley...

[GreyhoundGirl]

WHAT IS "KNARP" SPELLED BACKWARDS???

Yea... That really freaked me out, too...

telling a young girl that the worm she found in her home could cause complete body paralysis?

Couldn't have said it better. I wouldn't have slept for ages... Really mature...

You ever heard the story of the boy who cried wolf? No one's going to believe you next time...

[mr.chiwawa]

WE COME TO THIS FORUM AND TRUST ONE ANOTHER TO BE GIVING US TRUE FACTS. TO SOME OF US OUR PETS ARENT JUST ANIMALS THEY ARE OUR BABIES HOW DARE YOU MAKE HER OR ANY OF US FEEL SCARRED THAT YOUR INFORMATION COULD BE HARMFUL TO US OUR OUR PETS. IF YOUR LOOKING FOR A GOOD "PRANK" I THINK ITS TIME YOU GO ELSEWHERE.

[Twisterdog]

It's called grow up and go elsewhere. Why were you pulling our legs for no reason - especially telling a young girl that the worm she found in her home could cause complete body paralysis? Sorry, I don't find it all that amusing.

I have to agree.

Honestly, I expected better from our little PetTalk family here. On other websites, sure, but the people who post here generally are more sensitive to others' feelings than this.

I think it was pretty obvious from her first post that she was upset and had no idea what it was. Unless you have fed mealworms to a pet before, why would you know? She was obviously upset enough to follow your ridiculous, and potentially dangerous, instructions as best she could.

It's one thing to joke around with people who are obviously in on the joke. It's quite another to further frighten a young person who is already upset about the unknown. Not nice.

[IRescue452]

Sorry, but it looks too big and too dark to be any meal worm I've ever seen. I bred them for quite a few years for my frogs. But its not a true worm and its definately some sort of larva. Darkling beetles are a member of the lightning bug (firefly) family, if this is a related larva, you might have a true lighting bug baby.

[Twisterdog]

...Put out your poison and set your traps (there are a variety of mouse traps which do not snap and kill them - one is the famous mouse house) and don't be afraid too much.

CocoBean .... Do NOT take this advice! I'm am telling you from personal experience, DO NOT put out rat or mouse poison in a house where dogs or cats live! EVER!

When I bought my first house, the previous owners had left some blocks of mouse poison (D-Con) in the crawl space under the basement. I had no idea it was there. When we were moving in, my dad was putting some seldom-used items down there for me, and my dog was, of course, following him around and exploring the new place. He found a block of poison and ate it. My dad fortunatly saw him, and we rushed him to the emergency vet so they could induce vomiting and pump his stomach full of charcoal. The vet proceeded to tell me about all the dogs and cats he had treated that were not so fortunate.

Mouse and rat poison is a chemical called warfarin. It is a blood thinner. It is exactly the same ingredient as the human prescription blood-thinner Cumidin, used by heart patients to keep their blood thin after heart sugery. My mom is on it. But the human dosage is VERY small compared to the amount in poison. The mouse or rat eats it, and it does nothing at all for a bit. Then it causes massive internal bleeding, and the animal literally bleeds to death from the inside out. If your dogs were to eat the poison or the dead mice that have eaten it, it could potentially be very harmful or fatal to them. My vet said by the time you see the bleeding, most times too much damage has been done to save the animal.

INCREDIBLY irresponsible advice, BobsDad. Potentially deadly advice. Do some research before telling someone to do something that could potentially kill their pets.

[Miss Z]

I'm pretty surprised how this thread has turned out. Four whole pages! And all for the sake of one little mealworm .

I hope that you're OK, Beth, after all this.

[Pam]

if someone told you about a knarp worm, snipes, green men from mars or asked you to meet them in a secret meeting place and help them find their dog, you should exercise a little caution and common sense.

I think there is a bit of a difference here. Most people do not believe in green men from mars and are savvy enough not to meet strangers in secret places. This was a thread started by someone who earnestly was looking for an answer to her question. There have been several threads like it over the years and PTers have always tried to help identify whatever it was (plant, bug, pet, etc).

[GreyhoundGirl]

Ever heard of "don't believe everything you read or hear"???

You know... I think you're right... I won't believe the next thing you post.

[mr.chiwawa]

I second that

[borzoimom]

I second that

3rd...
Poison is dangerious, and pets have a way of getting into them- ... Use either traps or sticky sheets like behind the refrigerator.. The worm situation- I will say- I am shocked Bobs dad at Your indignation is even more confusing. .. No more comments or that one but there is PLENTY more I would have LOVED to say to you.. jeez..

[cloverfdx]

Well that was mature BobsDad...all i can think of is the boy who cried Wolf .

[GreyhoundGirl]

Well that was mature BobsDad...all i can think of is the boy who cried Wolf .

see post 41 great minds think alike

[elizabethann]

I can't believe how strange this thread has become....and the fact it's still in the top of Dog General threads when I posted several threads last night and only a few people replied to them (and thank you to those who did btw). Very strange indeed.