Could that be a horsehair worm? If it is, it's harmless to you and to your plants. The adults (which that would be) don't feed, they just lay eggs and when the eggs are ingested by insects that feed on them, or by marine life, they hatch and eventually kill their host. They come in a range of colors, and they take their name from (and I quote), "the mistaken belief that they fell from the manes of horses."
But thus far this week, I haven't done very well on the photo-ID track, so... Don't take my word for it. Sorry not to be of definite help! %^S
EW!! You're right! I Googled it and the wiki is gross. (my Googling words were small beige worm -fail) Like I said, I thought it was a cat hair -we have an orange cat.
From Wiki - Nematomorpha (sometimes called Gordiacea, and commonly known as horsehair worms or Gordian worms) is a phylum of parasitic animals that are superficially morphologically similar to nematode worms, hence the name. They range in size in most species from 50 to 100 centimetres (20 to 39 in) long and can reach in extreme cases up to 2 meters, and 1 to 3 millimetres (0.039 to 0.12 in) in diameter.
I am glad I saw a tiny one. If I saw the extreme 2m one...*arm flail)
H'mm. You're sure? Y'see, I wasn't sure when I read the description, and in neither your photo nor any of the Google images could I see what you described, sooo.... I took a chance. I'm still not sure. As I said above, you oughtn't take my word, or even my suggestion, for it. I hope someone else who can make a positive identification will see your entry and chime in.
Oh: as I recall, I just used worms as my single keyword; looked at what came up; then clicked on "Images" on the Google menu, and looked at those; then went back to "Web." And "horsehair worm" seemed the likeliest, but as I've said I'm just not sure.
That's good, yes? As far as I know, I've never seen a horsehair worm in person, or had to deal with them in any way. The one article said they're no danger to humans or to pets, so nothing needs to be done about them, which would make "horsehair worm" a kind of happy identification. (I probably ought to have just kept quiet and waited for you folks who *can* I-D these things to speak up.)
When I use my Google-fu, I tend to get overly specific and find nothing. Yea, I looked at a few of the pictures and it seemed right. Still, super creepy looking. Just glad I didn't touch it like I was going to - even if it is harmless.
They come in a range of colors, and they take their name from (and I quote), "the mistaken belief that they fell from the manes of horses."
But thus far this week, I haven't done very well on the photo-ID track, so... Don't take my word for it.
Sorry not to be of definite help! %^S
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I Googled it and the wiki is gross. (my Googling words were small beige worm -fail)
Like I said, I thought it was a cat hair -we have an orange cat.
From Wiki - Nematomorpha (sometimes called Gordiacea, and commonly known as horsehair worms or Gordian worms) is a phylum of parasitic animals that are superficially morphologically similar to nematode worms, hence the name. They range in size in most species from 50 to 100 centimetres (20 to 39 in) long and can reach in extreme cases up to 2 meters, and 1 to 3 millimetres (0.039 to 0.12 in) in diameter.
I am glad I saw a tiny one. If I saw the extreme 2m one...*arm flail)
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I'm still not sure.
As I said above, you oughtn't take my word, or even my suggestion, for it. I hope someone else who can make a positive identification will see your entry and chime in.
Oh: as I recall, I just used worms as my single keyword; looked at what came up; then clicked on "Images" on the Google menu, and looked at those; then went back to "Web."
And "horsehair worm" seemed the likeliest, but as I've said I'm just not sure.
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As far as I know, I've never seen a horsehair worm in person, or had to deal with them in any way.
The one article said they're no danger to humans or to pets, so nothing needs to be done about them, which would make "horsehair worm" a kind of happy identification. (I probably ought to have just kept quiet and waited for you folks who *can* I-D these things to speak up.)
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Yea, I looked at a few of the pictures and it seemed right.
Still, super creepy looking.
Just glad I didn't touch it like I was going to - even if it is harmless.
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