Gardener Finds Unknown Worms in Their Bird Bath — but the Internet Says There's Nothing To Worry

Gardening demands practical and interpersonal expertise. Plant identification, understanding soil and watering, pest and disease management are only some of the skills required. When a gardener, who goes by u/closetcreative on Reddit, found their bird bath wiggling with strange worms, they looked towards the internet for help. In a viral post, the user shared a clip showing the movement inside the bird bath. A bunch of worms, tiny enough to go unnoticed, thrived on the bed of the bath installation, and it was unlike anything the gardener had ever seen.

“What are these in the bird bath?” the person captioned the post. As they got closer to the bath, countless minuscule worms squirmed underwater. The gardener was unsure whether the worms were harmful and asked for more information on the species. “These little guys were having quite the party in the bird bath in my backyard,” the post added. The gardener expressed their concerns for their dog, who “likes to drink” from the bird bath incessantly. “I put a stop to it every time I see it happen, for reasons like this, I suppose. Thanks in advance,” the person wrote. The Reddit post received about 700 votes and several comments from people discussing the nature of the worm species.

One person (u/Dorjechampa_69) explained, “These are Chironomids for sure. Not mosquitoes. I work on mosquito viruses and go catch weird shit in swamps and birdbaths almost every day. For 30 years. It’s fun.” Chironomids are essentially non-biting midges that are harmless and resemble mosquitoes in appearance, per the Lake County Vector Control District. “Midges, specifically the non-biting ones that are awesome in ecosystems,” said another (u/FirePhoinex290). “You can buy them for fish food. Called ' bloodworms',” suggested someone else (u/Educational-Tear7336).

Similarly, another user shared that the worms can be fed to fish and birds. “While I've never heard the term chironomid before, all of the midge fly larvae have a similar movement pattern, but look different. It's pretty distinctive once you've seen it,” the note added. “They're harmless. Not pretty to look at, but harmless,” quipped u/Ren_Hunter. Recognizing the potential, u/Afraid_Fennel_8739 pitched a solution and wrote, “Find someone who keeps aquariums and give all these to them. Or bag them up and bring them to a local fish store. These are excellent foods for many types of fish. Might as well feed another.”

While there are many types of midges, the Lake County report revealed the most commonly encountered species. Rice flies are common during spring and summer, and their larvae are called bloodworms due to their red hues. Chironomid midges are a diverse group that includes rice flies and their smaller relatives. Clear Lake gnats cannot bite due to their reduced mouthparts and are commonly referred to as ‘Phantom Midges’ since they are difficult to see.

Most people cannot distinguish between mosquitoes and midges. While the former is harmful to humans, midges are not. A great distinct feature in midges is that they raise their forelegs when at rest, while adult mosquitoes do not. Hence, experts do not recommend using insecticides to control midges because they are harmless insects with short life spans anyway. Midges are essential for the larger food chain, often the primary food source for fish and aquatic animals.