Bugs on Strawberries - US only

gp2.0

Wed, Apr 01 2015, 8:55 am

cbsp wrote:

Thank you for your input. You've mentioned growing produce and I very much respect that ability!

Just so I'm understanding you, are you saying that it's very possible a beautiful looking strawberry could have the white bugs without any damage done to the fruit? Is it very possible that these bugs are on the fruit but we're just not seeing any?

No, she was saying there could be damage done to the fruit by bugs that are no longer on the fruit because they have moved on. So a fruit could look damaged but actually be bug free.

MagentaYenta I appreciate your expert opinion here!

I'm curious though, if the brown spots are a sign of thrips who have been there in the past, is a strawberry with brown spots more likely to have eggs hiding out?

working hard

Wed, Apr 01 2015, 8:58 am

I have never found bugs on strawberries but I have found worms inside strawberries. I always cut them in half and check for small white worms in the inside. I find every once in a while.

gp2.0

Wed, Apr 01 2015, 9:13 am

working hard wrote:

I have never found bugs on strawberries but I have found worms inside strawberries. I always cut them in half and check for small white worms in the inside. I find every once in a while.

OMG. I wonder how common this is and why it is not recommended to cut strawberries in half? Are they US grown?

self-actualization

Wed, Apr 01 2015, 10:38 am

I found a caterpillar in edamame once around 10 years ago at a kosher catered event. Since then, I have mainly been eating edamame only after it is out of the pod (like in a salad). I suppose I could just check each pod as I eat it, but the "gross" factor has stuck in my head.

Scrabble123

Wed, Apr 01 2015, 10:47 am

Yes, I have found bugs in strawberries several times. I have not found them in the small strawberries that are commonly sold in NY. I honestly haven't purchased those too often because I do not enjoy their tastes like the jumbo and extra large strawberries sold in other states.

gp2.0

Wed, Apr 01 2015, 11:17 am

self-actualization wrote:

Actually I am hesitant about eating edamame in restaurants because I found one once in a restaurant. Combined with how often I've found them at home, and how easy it is to shell them quickly without thoroughly checking, I am convinced that the workers in restaurants shell them quickly and don't check.

MagentaYenta

Wed, Apr 01 2015, 12:14 pm

gp2.0 wrote:

It's not impossible for this to happen, it can be unusual. Insects life cycles are dependent on weather and food sources for each stage of the life cycle. And remember this bug lives only for 14 days. I would surmise that this is more possible when there are large colonies of the insects or if the insects have become resistant to insecticides. I put a call into an entomologist friend, who is traveling for passover. More info to come at a later date.

perquacky

Wed, Apr 01 2015, 1:01 pm

MagentaYenta wrote:

I grown strawberries for about 23 years, I use no chemical pesticides and have yet to find a bug. Commercial strawberries are heavily treated, it's likely no bug could survive the the stuff they are dosed with.

MagentaYenta, a bit off-topic, but how do you keep slugs from eating your strawberries?

MagentaYenta

Wed, Apr 01 2015, 1:21 pm

perquacky wrote:

MagentaYenta, a bit off-topic, but how do you keep slugs from eating your strawberries?

Black plastic like the commercial growers and I also use diatomaceous earth (non food grade). For other plantings (squash, beans etc) I use Sluggo (iron phosphate granules). Both the DE and the Sluggo are safe for people, pets birds and animals.

mirror

Wed, Apr 01 2015, 2:01 pm

seeker wrote:

MagentaYenta, how did you learn so much about vegetable bugs? Do you have some favorite gardening books or something to recommend? Are you a professional entomologist?

MagentaYenta, how do I grow my own?

MagentaYenta

Wed, Apr 01 2015, 2:12 pm

Devoirie wrote:

MagentaYenta, how do I grow my own?

Buy some strawberry starts and google extension publications re: strawberries.

I took gardening classes offered by my extension service and got lucky and found a job with extension supporting growers. I was a farmer and public employee prior to my retirement. If you are growing stuff without pesticides you need to learn about bugs:) the good and bad ones.

Every state has an extension service, all have mountains of publications and free classes about plant pathology, local gardening etc. There are also publications for urban or container gardeners. They are an invaluable resource for home gardeners and commercial growers. You can find out from them which cultivars work best for your climate zone or microclimate.

Rodale press has great publications for organic gardeners and individuals who want to learn how to preserve their bounty safely.

I grow most of my vegetables for year round use in about 400sq ft. I'll start a AMA in the gardening forum so as not to detract from this thread.

mille

Wed, Apr 01 2015, 7:18 pm

What a great thread to read while eating dinner! LOL

I have never seen bugs on strawberries. Or broccoli either, which I know some don't eat due to common 'infestations'... we eat raw broccoli all the time, never seen a bug. I mostly see bugs in lettuce, usually when it comes from the farmers market.

zelda

Wed, Apr 01 2015, 7:51 pm

I have never found bugs in my strawberries after soaking but to the perso hi wrote they never find bugs in lettuce. I used to say that too but a friend told me I need to check the water better. Now I really look carefully in the water of the white bowl I wash my romaine lettuce in and u do find bugs. Any different types. Wormies, little tiny green ones with legs, and others. I wash romaine lettuce every day for dinner and I would say I find bugs 10%of the time.

someoneelse

Sun, Jun 14 2015, 5:43 am

I once found a small white bug on a strawberry. It was a while ago, but as far as I remember the fruit was in good condition and didn't have brown spots. Found the bug before washing. It was very much alive and crawling around on the fruit towards the top of the berry, but not in the green part. It was really small and blended almost perfectly into the white area surrounding the seeds, but once I spotted it, I saw it clearly.

I've never seen one since but I don't eat strawberries often and when I do, just wash and don't inspect the berries or the water afterward. I cut off the tops, being careful not to cut into the hole down the center, if the hole is exposed I slice in half. Then soak in mildly soapy water 3 minutes, agitate in water a little and then rinse off each berry individually under a medium/strong stream of water.

Lady Godiva

Sun, Jun 14 2015, 10:05 am

I did!
I was the queen of Bugs on Strawberries are BS until I found a live white bug (I think a thrip?) INSIDE a few strawberries from a package I got from Costco.
Yes, I still eat strawberries on a regular basis, but now I cut them in half and check the inside as well as I do the outside of them.

seeker

Sun, Jun 14 2015, 10:35 pm

zelda wrote:

Yeah but if they're coming off in the water that's not a problem. The problem is if they're on the lettuce. I say if washing works, that's good. If you're going to check the lettuce as well, no need to count the bugs in the water AFAIk.

seeker

Sun, Jun 14 2015, 10:45 pm

Lady Godiva wrote:

INSIDE?! Cripes. Were there any signs on the outside at all? Sometimes they leave scars on their way in?

I have not seen any strawberry bugs this season, including on the organic strawberries that I splurged on and was a little wary about. They were a little harder to check due to having a deeper color and texture, but I washed well and inspected as closely as I could and found no bugs. But I did not cut most open. I did take bites and never noticed anything on the bitten surface... but I was no longer inspecting at that point.

Lady Godiva

Sun, Jun 14 2015, 11:36 pm

seeker wrote:

Yes! Inside! I know! I freaked out. As far as I remember they were fine on the outside. I sliced them open for a dessert I was making and I found them moving inside. It was gross! I cut them and rinsed them all again. (I found them in about 5 strawberries in that batch.)
I will never eat a strawberry without looking and rinsing inside it again.