Whenever you think of the term “bookworm,” an avid reader may pop into your mind. But did you know bookworms are actually real? A BookToker is sharing what she does to prevent them from ruining all of her books.
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Mrs. Yang (@them_yangs) is a Maryland-based BookToker. She has 272,000 followers.
“One time, I saw a girl on here get thrifted books and had bookworms,” she says in a video with 3 million views. “She didn’t know, so she put them with the rest of her books, and they just tore through all of them.”
Don’t make the same mistake
The TikToker is referring to what happened to fellow BookTok creator Izzy (@pickme.chooseme.readwme). In October of 2024, Izzy told viewers to learn from her mistakes.
“I didn’t listen to my friend when she said you have to freeze books,” Izzy said at the time. “And now guess what? I have bookworms.”
Izzy said that the incident made her want to cry and had her nervous to open any of her books. “Freeze your books,” she warned.
Mrs. Yang is heeding Izzy’s warning.
“I’ve been paranoid. So whenever I get thrifted books, I always freeze them,” she says, holding copies of “All This Twisted Glory” and “Things We Never Got Over.”
The content creator sticks the two books into separate freezer bags before sealing them shut.
“Anything living in these will no longer be living by the time I get them tomorrow,” Mrs. Yang concludes.
Mrs. Yang told the Daily Dot that she’s been freezing her thrifted books ever since she came across Izzy’s video.
“I always had some idea book worms were real but finding out they were silverfish shocked me,” she says. “Now I know they aren’t just silver fish but they are one type.”
What are bookworms?
Bookworms aren’t just book lovers or even worms! They’re insects that eat books and papers. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, these bugs can be “booklouse, silverfish, powderpost beetle, spider beetle, common furniture beetle, Mexican book beetle, paper worm (larvae of the paper beetle or moth), and larder beetle.” These creatures feast on the materials of old, moldy, and damp books.
Mrs. Yang has come across a bookworm in the past. “After I finished freezing a book for like two weeks [that] I got from a little free library, I found a bookworm in the bag,” she shared.
And Mrs. Yang isn’t letting bookworms scare her off. Freezing them “seems effective from my experience but I’m just some random person on the internet!” the content creator said. “I will for sure keep thrifting books!’
And instead of freezing her books for 24 hours, Mrs. Yang usually leaves them in the freezer for longer than that. “I usually end up leaving my books in for a week because I forget about them and many people in the comments said it needs to be at least seventy two hours!” she said.
Viewers were in disbelief
Most people didn’t realize that bookworms aren’t just a metaphor.
“27 years later I find out book worms are real creatures,” one viewer wrote.
“Wait, book worms are real?!?! I thought WE were the book worms,” a second echoed.
“Me as a librarian: is this why libraries are so cold?!? They didn’t teach that part in library school,” a third commented.
Is this why libraries maintain chilly temperatures?
Indeed, it is. When the building is cold, mold growth stops and keeps the books dry. In addition to destroying the books, mold also attracts the pesky bookworms.
Freezing your used books for at least 48 hours in a plastic bag kills both them and their eggs. If you purchase any pre-owned books, be sure to pop them in the freezer before cracking them open.
@them_yangs Did you know book worms are REAL?! #booktok #blackgirlsread #bookish #blackbooktok ♬ original sound – Mrs. Yang
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