Woman Buys Home Decor Item at T.J. Maxx. Then She Sees Something Crawl out of It: ‘It May Be Loose in My House’

Decorations should be a stress-free way to bring your home to life. Never should they contain something alive. For years, a T.J. Maxx bowl a woman bought years ago haunted her. Now, she discovered it was actually an unsuspecting traveler.

“OK, so, I’m not really sure where to start with all of this, but I’m a little freaked out,” vacation planner Mary (@thetraveling_griffin) starts her video. “I bought this bowl from T.J. Maxx for $12.99, I think back in COVID, maybe even longer. It’s a wooden bowl made in India.”

From the moment she brought it home, it made a strange ticking sound, which she originally dismissed.

“At first, I didn’t think it was coming from the bowl. I thought there was a ticking noise coming from somewhere,” she says. “Then I would get close to the bowl, and the ticking noise would stop.”

The Possible Culprit Behind Her T.J. Maxx Bowl Sound

A few months prior to this video, she says her roommate heard the sound coming from the bowl and proposed what could be inhabiting it: a bug.

Immediately, the content creator says she shrugged this off.

“‘That’s impossible because the bug would have to be dead. I’ve had this bowl for several years,’” Mary recalls telling her roommate.

But the further she investigated, the more she proved her roommate correct. “The more I looked up, there was something about beetles being in wooden bowls and wooden things from India,” she says. “Is it just eating the bowl from the inside out?”

It Goes From Bad To Worse

When you think the incident couldn’t go further downhill, it does.

“I think the bug has escaped. I heard a weird noise coming from next to me,” the content creator says, panning the camera over to her bedside table full of her possessions, including the T.J. Maxx polished wooden bowl in question. “Now, I’m gonna show you the miniature little sandcastle of wood bits this stinking little bug has left behind and the hole that has emerged from this bowl.” 

Once Mary lifts it up, she reveals the T.J. Maxx sticker and the “made in India” printed at the bottom, moving it to reveal exactly what she described: a powdery, pyramid-shaped pile of sawdust. Next, she tilts the decoration to show a small, perfect circle, presumably where the bug made its escape.

“This bowl is not allowed to live in my house,” she declares, walking out of her house and placing it on her patio. 

“Gonna leave it right there. I really hope it’s in the bowl because if it’s not in the bowl, he’s in the house somewhere. If that thing can survive COVID and not having water, and living in darkness for how many years?” she says.

What’s The Plan?

At her wits’ end, she seeks answers from 5 million viewers.

“I’m legit terrified. If anyone knows what this could be, can you please tell me?” the content creator asks, adding, “If I find said bug, I’ll let you know, but hopefully we won’t find [it].”

In the meantime, she intends to remove the bowl one way or another. “We will be burning the bowl or throwing it in the garbage here,” she says. “But I’ve got to clean up these little wood chips and hope to god that the bug is not in [it].”

As she wraps up the clip, Mary has a special message for the retailer. “So, T.J. Maxx, you have some explaining to do, OK? Because I don’t wanna buy products from your store if you’re gonna be importing bugs from other countries that might get loose in my house,” she scolds. “Be more mindful.”

Viewers Are Speechless

In her comments section, many were in utter disbelief, claiming she has bigger fish to fry now.

“The bowl is fine now. It’s your house you need to put outside,” one viewer remarked

“No need to worry about the bowl, it now lives inside the bedside table,” a second echoed.

“Why is everyone assuming it was just 1 bug? It could be a whole colony going on their first excursion in the new world,” a third quipped.

A fourth mentioned, “I think the real question you need to be asking is how many eggs has it laid?”

But a fifth came to her rescue, answering her initial question, “You have a [powderpost] beetle!”

Any Update About The T.J. Maxx Bug Bowl?

In a follow-up video, Mary provides an update about the bug hunt. First, she elaborates how she discovered the sawdust.

“They appeared within three days of me leaving,” she clarifies. “Also, the bowl did not live there initially. So, I had set it there next to my couch on the side table there.”

However, she hasn’t successfully captured or found the bug yet. “I have scoured it from top to bottom all over. There are no holes that have been bored into that table,” she shares. “So, I don’t think the bug is inside and it’s not ticking.”

Instead of discarding the bowl, she still has it. “The bowl is in our outside freezer. it’s all wrapped up nice and tight,” she says. “But I do plan on cutting into the bowl.”

Could This Be Work of A Powderpost Beetle?

According to the damage, all signs point to this critter. Powderpost Beetles are a species of wood-boring beetles, earning their name for creating round exit holes near untreated wooden furniture and leaving behind powdery wood dust, per Terminx. Typically, the females lay their eggs in the wood for the larvae to munch on, weakening the wood from within. So, how did the bug last six years inside Mary’s T.J. Maxx bowl?

Well, the larval stage of the cycle can last for years until they reach maturity. In fact, Rottler Pest Solutions states this can take up to four years to complete, depending on the environmental factors. If the wood contains at least 8% moisture content, it provides a two-in-one source of food and water for survival. Once they reach adulthood, they eventually chew their way out. Since these insects can wreak havoc, it’s best to call an exterminator pronto.

@thetraveling_griffin TJ MAXX bug bowl from India?? It may be loose in my house!! ??? Send Help!! #tjmaxx #tjmaxxfinds #madeinindia #mysterybug @TJ Maxx #whatisit ♬ original sound – Mary

The Mary Sue reached out to Mary via email and TikTok comment as well as T.J. Maxx via press email.

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