If you're asking whether all your strawberries contain secret insect friends, the answer is no, Kathleen Demchak, a senior associate at the Plant Science department at Penn State University's College of Agricultural Sciences, tells Bustle. "As strawberries develop, there simply isn’t a way for insects to get in without making holes — though admittedly, they can be very tiny — in the surface of the fruit or the berry cap," she says. Surprisingly, though, just because they're there doesn't mean the strawberries are unsanitary. On Monday, May 18, TikTok user selesteradcliffe took to TikTok to alert others of an alarming discovery — upon submerging their newly-opened package of strawberries in a bowl of cold salt water for a few minutes, slimy bugs started evacuating the fruit. "If there are strawberries being sold with small insects inside them, then I would assume that it is either so rare as to be well below the USDA guidelines, or they are being sold by vendors who are bypassing the USDA inspection and grading process," Yanega says. "The berries are still safe to eat," she says. "Washing your produce is always a good idea, and if you purchase berries and actually do find small insects in them, let the folks where you bought the berries know so they can take safe steps to correct the problem," she says. Why? You plonk them into water mixed with salt to get rid of the dirt and tiny bugs that might be inside. Doug Yanega Ph.D., senior museum scientist in the Department of Entomology at the University of California, tells Bustle that the U.S. Department Of Agriculture (USDA) has strict limits on how strawberries that may have encountered bug life can be sold. The trend started when TikTok user @selesteradcliffe filmed a video soaking her strawberries in salt and water. "When we eat any food, animal or vegetable, we are actually consuming many different types of organisms, bacteria, fungi, and yes, sometimes insects or parts of insects," Michael Raupp Ph.D., professor of entomology at the University of Maryland, tells Bustle. If you're seriously considering swearing off strawberries at this point, keep in mind that consuming these bugs … That’s what a viral TikTok video shows, but food experts say the practice is unnecessary. These viral videos are taking over TikTok. It’s not just one video, either. "The bugs blend in with the seeds and start crawling out of them." People try viral fruit hack, the results are gross The video prompted many to try the fruit hack and they got gross results too. So how did the bugs get into the fruit in the video? Bottom line: those bugs aren't going to hurt you. @babyadrianne says that we should all be washing our strawberries with water and salt. As if the world doesn't have enough to worry about right now, a TikTok went viral in May in which strawberries soaked in salt water suddenly released a lot of little bugs. The video shows when washing strawberries in salt water, tiny little bugs come out of them. If you watch the video (assuming you can handle it), you’ll see teeny tiny critters scurrying around the strawberries after she dunks them in salt water. Experts tell Bustle that there's no reason to worry. More and more people on the platform have been sharing videos about how to properly wash berries. "The consensus seems to be that the culprit was spotted wing drosophila, an invasive fruit fly that’s been present in the continental U.S. for about a decade," Demchak, who specializes in fruit fly research, says. The video, posted by Seleste Radcliffe, shows what can happen when someone uses saltwater to clean a store-bought package of strawberries. Torres says she saw tiny worms on around six of the eight strawberries she soaked in the salt water. Jose A. Bernat Bacete/Moment/Getty Images, actually consuming many different types of organisms. All rights reserved. Because then “all the bugs will come out.” Yep. tiktok.com As if the world doesn't have enough to worry about right now, a TikTok went viral in May in which strawberries soaked in salt water suddenly released a lot of little bugs.The video … 2020 Bustle Digital Group. Under the hashtag #strawberrieswithbugs, seemingly endless videos show people investigating this claim. No signs, that is, until they were soaked in salt water. People are soaking their strawberries in salt water to see if bugs live inside them. That’s the message that people on TikTok are sending their followers. Wash your strawberries! The claim: Washing strawberries with saltwater will bring out tiny bugs Users on social media platforms began posting videos of what appeared to be insects crawling out of strawberries … He points out that insect life is on the menu in many parts of the world, and is widely viewed as nutritious and healthy protein. “Apparently if you wash your strawberries in water and salt, all the bugs will come out,” TikTok user Seleste Radcliffe said in a video showing her … Claim: A saltwater solution will force insect pests out of infested strawberries. \"Apparently if you wash your strawberries in water and salt, all the bugs will come out,\" says TikTok user Seleste Radcliffe in a video which shows her trying the method out. The videos seemed to show perfectly ordinary-looking strawberries, with no signs of spoilage, rot, or alien invader-larvae. A TikTok video shows worms coming out of strawberries after the fruit was soaked in saltwater. TikTok Strawberry Videos Show Bugs and Worms crawling out of Strawberries Soaked in Salt Water. Radcliffe, who demonstrates the rinsing method in her clip, quickly explains its importance: Salt, as it turns out, helps draw out the bugs. In these videos, people say they found bugs in their strawberries after putting them in saltwater and the videos show tiny worms moving out of the strawberries, and floating in the water. A viral TikTok trend that shows live worms crawling out of strawberries soaked in salt water has left viewers squeamish. TikTok Bugs In Strawberries in Salt Waterf you like strawberries, these videos may put you off the fruit for life. If you look closely at your berries and see they're firm and intact, there's pretty much zero chance there are bugs inside. strawberries that may have encountered bug life can be sold. Kathleen Demchak, senior associate, Penn State University, Michael Raupp Ph.D., professor of entomology, University of Maryland, Doug Yanega Ph.D., senior museum scientist, University of California. TikTok Strawberries sitting in water and salt. “Apparently if you wash your strawberries in water and salt, all the bugs will come out,” they said, just before the bugs began appearing. The video - which has collected over 2.5 million views - shows a tiny worm crawling out of a strawberry.BuzzFeed journalist Krista Torres also tried the method out and the results might make your stomach churn. The videos show that soaking the fruit in salt and water for 30 minutes removes bugs from them. On the popular platform, people have been posting videos of themselves soaking strawberries in salt water for 30 minutes to see whether bugs come out of them. I filled a bowl with room temperature water, poured in a shit ton of sea salt (like five large spoonfuls), put the strawberries in, and waited about 30 minutes. spotted wing drosophilia don't survive winter very well. Your strawberries won't commonly have small bugs in them, and if they do, chances are that they're completely safe to consume. Several TikTok users have shared videos explaining that store-bought strawberries may not be fit to eat after just a quick rinse. She wrote: “After nearly 25 years of … Watch her TikTok video at your own risk:bugs in strawberries, strawberries in salt water, worms in strawberries, how to clean strawberries, are there bugs in strawberries, strawberry bugs, do strawberries have bugs, washing strawberries in salt water, strawberry worms, strawberry salt water bugs, salt water strawberries, strawberries salt water, was strawberries with salt, bugs in strawberries salt water, tiktok strawberry bugs, bugs on strawberries, tiktok strawberry bug, tiktok bugs in strawberries, tiktok, You've likely eaten more bugs in your fruit than you think, with no ill effects. Before you freak out, here's the bottom line: Finding bugs in fresh produce isn’t anything new.