How to Remove Worms & Larvae from Blackberries

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Private chef Jeff Woodward explains what to do if you find bugs in blackberries

Co-authored by Chef Jeff Woodward and Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: December 26, 2025 Fact Checked

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Removing Bugs

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What are the bugs in my blackberries?

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Preventing Bugs

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Are fruit fly larvae safe to eat?

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Video

Wild-picked blackberries are delicious, but they often contain tiny fruit fly larvae hidden deep within the fruit. If that’s news to you, it might be because the most widespread of these particular fruit flies first appeared in the U.S. in 2008! But don’t give up on this tasty treat just yet. We talked to private chef Jeff Woodward to help us figure out how to get rid of the bugs, plus how to prevent them if you’re growing blackberries—and, yes, whether the bugs are safe to eat.

Easy Ways to Get Bugs Out of Blackberries

Private chef Jeff Woodward says after rinsing blackberries, sort through them. If you see any bugs, remove them and throw them away. Here are a few other ways to do it:

Soak the blackberries in saltwater to drive out the bugs.
Soak the blackberries in a 3:1 solution of water and vinegar.
Place the blackberries in the fridge for at least 3 days.
Freeze the blackberries to kill larvae.

Section 1 of 4:

Best Ways to Remove Bugs from Blackberries

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Check the blackberries by hand. Chef Woodward says to rinse your blackberries, then search through them. If you spot any bugs in the berries, remove them and throw them away.^{[1]
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Chef Jeff Woodward
Private Chef

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- This can be a good approach if you only have a few blackberries. If you have a big batch, you might want to try one of the methods below.
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Chef Jeff Woodward is a private chef and the owner of The Rogue Chef in Branson, MO. Some of his notable clients include The Harlem Globetrotters, Justin Timberlake, Mark Wahlberg, and Peyton Manning.
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Soak berries in salt water to remove bugs. Dissolve 1/4 cup (75 g) of salt in 1 US gal (3.8 l) of water.^{[2]
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Research source} Soak the blackberries in the salt water for 30 minutes. If there are any larvae present, they’ll float to the surface of the water—skim them off to remove them.^{[3]
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- Rinse the berries thoroughly after soaking to remove the salty taste.
- This method is frequently used by farmers to establish whether there are bugs present on their blackberries.^{[4]
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  Research source} That said, some salt taste may linger—but it should get rid of the bugs in the fruit.
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Soak the berries in vinegar and water to draw out bugs. Mix 1 part apple cider vinegar and 3 parts water in a large bowl, then soak the blackberries in the vinegar mixture for about 10 minutes. This can help draw larvae out of the berries. Gently use your hand to swish the berries through the water, then drain them and rinse thoroughly under cool, running water. Lay the berries flat on a dishcloth or paper towels and let them air dry for about an hour. Store the berries in the fridge once they’re dry.^{[5]
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- Some people like to add about 1 tbsp (15 g) of salt to the mixture, as well. This may make the solution more effective at killing the larvae.
- This approach can help keep your blackberries fresh longer. That way, you’ll be able to store them in the fridge long enough to kill any remaining larvae.
- Repeat the saltwater or vinegar soak up to three times to get out as many bugs as possible.
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Chill the blackberries at 35 °F (2 °C) for 3 days. Refrigerating the berries will completely kill all larvae if they’re kept at 35 °F (2 °C) or lower for a full 3 days.^{[6]
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Research source} That said, this approach can be difficult with blackberries, which can sometimes spoil before the 3 days are up.
- Chef Woodward agrees that once you get the blackberries home, “storing them in the refrigerator will help prevent bugs.”^{[7]
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  Chef Jeff Woodward
  Private Chef
  
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- Try this chilling method after you soak the blackberries in vinegar or salt water for the best results.
- Picking the berries before they’re ripe may help them stay fresh longer in the fridge.
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Freeze the blackberries to kill larvae. If you’re planning to use your blackberries in a jam, pie, or syrup, freezing them is an easy way to get rid of any bugs.^{[8]
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Research source} Spread the blackberries in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave the baking sheet in the freezer for about 2 hours, then transfer the blackberries to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container.
- Try to ensure the blackberries aren’t touching each other. That way, they won’t stick together when they’re frozen, and it will be easier to take out just what you need.
- Frozen blackberries will stay good in the freezer for up to a year.
- This won’t necessarily remove the larvae from the blackberries (it will just kill them), but if you see any, you can pick them out of the fruit when you thaw them out or before you put them in the freezer bag.

Section 2 of 4:

What are the bugs in my blackberries?

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Small worms in berries are likely spotted-wing drosophila larvae. Spotted-wing drosophila (or Drosophila suzukii) was first spotted in California in 2008, and by 2012, it had spread across the U.S. These little bugs pose a big problem for berry growers—they reproduce rapidly and are quick to develop resistance to insecticides.^{[9]
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- While you may sometimes find other bugs in berries, spotted-wing drosophila have become widespread in the past decade or so. If you see tiny worms in your blackberries, this is probably what you’re dealing with.
- If you see a tiny wasp-like insect with clear wings, it’s likely a raspberry crown borer. Plants found with these insects must be removed and destroyed to prevent further infestation.^{[10]
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- Stinkbugs are often drawn to blackberries, but you’ll typically find them on the fruit, not in it.^{[11]
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Section 3 of 4:

How to Prevent Bugs in Garden Berries

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Harvest all fruit just before it ripens. Carefully go through your blackberry vines and remove any berries that are almost fully ripe. Female spotted-wing drosophila deposit their eggs in ripe fruit. If you harvest the fruit right before it’s ripe, you’ll effectively remove the breeding site.^{[12]
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- If you have a you-pick operation, go through and remove any fruit that pickers might have missed or dropped.^{[13]
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- If any fruit is damaged or spoiled, remove it and dispose of it far from the growing site. Don’t leave it on the vine.
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Cover your blackberry vines with 80g netting. If adult flies can’t get to the blackberries, they won’t be able to lay their eggs in the fruit—and no eggs means no larvae. Use heavy, ultra-small 80g mesh. It won’t keep the tiny drosophila flies out if it’s any larger.^{[14]
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- Be sure to cover the whole plant from top to bottom. Garden hoops may be helpful to prevent the mesh from getting tangled in the blackberry vines and to make it easier to harvest the fruit.
- This method is more cost-effective over time because you can reuse the mesh each year.
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Use traps to determine whether spotted-wing drosophila are present. Poke holes just under the top rim of a 32 millilitres (0.14 c) deli cup (like the kind used for egg drop soup). In the bottom of the cup, mix 1 tbsp (9 g) of active dry yeast, 4 tbsp (12.5 g) of sugar, and 12 mL (0.051 c) of water. Hook a plastic-coated paper clip through a hole in the center of the lid, then hang a piece of fly paper from the other end of the paper clip.^{[15]
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- Attach a piece of wire to the sides of the cup, then hang it in the foliage of your blackberry vines—preferably in a cool, humid place.
- Adult drosophila flies will enter the holes in the cup and get stuck to the fly paper. This will allow you to monitor their presence and to see whether control methods are effective.
- Other insects may get caught in the trap—you can identify spotted-wing drosophila by their golden-brown color and red eyes. Males have a pot on the tips of their wings, and females have a saw-like serration on their ovipositor (or rear).
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Spray insecticides on a weekly rotation if you’re comfortable using them. Because spotted-wing drosophila spawn new generations so rapidly, they can quickly evolve resistance to insecticides. If you use insecticides, it can help to create a rotation so you’re not using the same chemical every week.^{[16]
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- Be sure to carefully follow any label instructions for how and how often to apply insecticides. Most products have a limit to how many times they can be used during a growing season, so consider that when you’re planning your dosing schedule.
- Your state may have specific guidelines that govern the use of pesticides, as well.
- Chemical control may help limit the presence of adult flies, which in turn can limit the presence of larvae in the fruit.

Section 4 of 4:

Are fruit fly larvae safe to eat?

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Fruit fly larvae might not hurt you, but you still may not want to eat them. If you’ve been eating wild blackberries for years and now you’re wondering if it was a bad idea, don’t worry—there aren’t any known health risks from consuming fruit fly larvae (the little worms you sometimes see in berries).^{[17]
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Research source} It really just comes down to the ick factor—Chef Woodward doesn’t recommend eating them.^{[18]
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Chef Jeff Woodward
Private Chef

Expert Interview}
- If the idea of the larvae bothers you, refrigerate, soak, or freeze the berries before you eat them. And if you still can’t resist a sun-warmed blackberry straight from the vine, well, we don’t judge.