There Are Worms In The Red Huckleberries You Just Picked
There are worms in them.
Tiny white worms, almost transparent, that will ultimately blossom into fruit flies -- unless you eat them first. Scientists know them as Drosophila suzukii.
Now stop gagging, because they are safe to eat. (Also full of Protein.)
This particular fly arrived in the Northwest in 2009, when commerce brought the Drosophila suzukii to California. Its larvae has even been found in huckleberries on the high slopes of Mount Adams.
It is a close relative of the vinegar fly, currently swarming the bananas on your counter.
But this fly is more ruthless than the traditional fruit fly, because it strikes fruit earlier in the ripening process. The female, unlike a regular fruit fly, can insert her larvae into fruit.
She does this by piercing fruit with her needle-like ovipositor – think stinger – and laying the larvae. In summer conditions, the eggs will hatch in about a day.
As the fruit disintegrates, the worm crawls out and drops into the soil. It forms a pupa and later emerges as an adult.
Commercial growers hate these pests, as the fly has claimed lots of the softer-skinned fruits.
But the casual berry picker has nothing to fear, “People have been eating these insects for time immemorial.”
Tips for avoiding the worms: Pick fruit before they're overripe and place them in the fridge. We've also heard that soaking the berries in salty water can encourage the worms to emerge and float to the top. YummmmY!
Doug
