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  • 2019-07-03 (xsd:date)
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  • Are These Maggots in Cherries? (en)
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  • On June 26, 2019, a video supposedly showing small, white worms inside of a batch of cherries went viral on social media: This video, which was viewed millions of times within a week of its initial posting, drew plenty of reactions from viewers who were shocked and disgusted at the apparently sight of maggots in the fruit. While we won't argue about the gross-out factor of this clip, finding worms in cherries (or other pieces of fruit) isn't all that unusual. The video likely documents a subject familiar to cherry farmers, the larvae of the cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis cerasi). Washington State University's Tree Fruit Website labels the western cherry fruit fly as a key pest in all cherry growing regions of the western United States. A photograph from the website showing the fruit flies' larvae in the flesh of a cherry resembles the images seen in the viral video: When someone asked the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University for the best way to get rid of the white worms in my cherries, the university responded as follows: The cherry fruit fly isn't the only insect to deposit its larvae in cherries, and this viral video might also show the larvae of the spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii): A video published in the peer-reviewed BMC Journal shows the larvae of the fruit fly D. suzukii in a ripe cherry: While we certainly wouldn't recommend eating these white worms with your cherries, Garden Guru Pat Welsh noted that accidentally consuming one shouldn't consitute a health emergency: The larvae of Western cherry fruit fly don’t harm human beings who have accidentally ingested them since they are not adapted to living in human intestines, and they are mainly, after all, made up of cherry meat, but it is certainly a disgusting thought to know you have been eating worms. Both home and commercial farmers take precautions to prevent cherry fruit flies from contaminating their crops. As we have yet to see any information about a recall or public statements regarding a cherry fly infestation, the viral video of maggots in cherries likely captured a relatively isolated incident. (en)
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