Why are there worms in cherries? Can worms in cherries be eaten?

As the cherry season arrives, more and more articles online are beginning to reveal the phenomenon of worms in cherries. The small white worms that appear when cherries are soaked in salt water are fruit fly larvae. Fruit flies are widely distributed insects, and at least 1,000 species of fruit flies have been discovered so far. This type of larvae can be found in fruits with high sugar content, such as cherries, grapes, and watermelons, as well as berries such as bayberries, blueberries, and strawberries. So, why are there worms in cherries? Can worms in cherries be eaten? Let's take a look at the introduction of Encyclopedia Knowledge Network below!

Contents of this article

1. Why are there worms in cherries?

2. Can you eat the bugs in cherries?

3. How long does it take for the worms to come out of the cherries after soaking them in salt water?

Why are there worms in cherries?

A small amount of cherry fruits become moldy and rotten, and the fruity smell they emit attracts fruit flies. Fruit flies lay needle-tip-sized eggs on nearby cherry fruits, which are usually difficult to see with the naked eye. The next day, they hatch into larvae and burrow into the fruit to feed. After two molts over a two-day interval, on the fourth day they become larvae that are 2 mm long and hundreds of times larger than the eggs.

Can you eat cherries with bugs in them?

The bugs in cherries are edible.

The white bugs in the cherries are the larvae hatched from the eggs of the fruit fly. Fruits that emit fragrance, such as bayberry, strawberry, kiwi, grape, pear, banana, etc., are the favorites of fruit flies.

How long does it take for the worms to come out of cherries when they are soaked in salt water?

Generally, they will come out in 10-15 minutes. Because when the salt water concentration is high, the osmotic pressure of the extracellular crystals of biological cells will increase, so they will be dehydrated and uncomfortable. Soak the cherries in salt water, and the bugs in them will struggle to float to the surface due to lack of water. However, these bugs are actually the larvae of fruit flies, which are harmless to humans. Some cherries that are ripe or have damaged skins may be "targeted" by fruit flies. If no bugs are found after soaking in salt water for a long time, it means that there are no bugs in the cherries.