And unlike other fruit flies that target mostly rotting or fermenting fruit, SWD targets fruit right on the tree, laying their eggs in the young fruit and eventually turning it into a wormy mess. One to several larvae can be found feeding within a single fruit. Photo via Alamy. The fly lays eggs in the ripening fruit. There is no known risk to human health posed by ingesting SWD. ... A PHI is the minimum amount of time between the insecticide application and when it is safe to harvest. Chilling will slow and may even stop the development of larvae. Under conditions favorable to the SWD, the fruit begin to collapse as quickly as two days after the eggs were laid. It attacks soft fruit like raspberry, blackberry, strawberry and blueberry. Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is a fruit fly that's on the move. Spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) larvae in a grape. Jerry Brust, Ph.D., Extension Vegetable Specialist gives you the details and photos in his (PDF) fact sheet.Two popular backyard fruit crops, blackberry and raspberry, are favorite host plants for SWD. SWD will overwinter in Kentucky as it survives in states to our north and parts of Canada. The spotted wing drosophila is a new insect that enjoys fresh fruit as much as you do. This is an invasive pest that has … Safe repellents that protect fruit from spotted wing Drosophila found by University of California - Riverside The males have a characteristic dark spot on tip of wings. What is a spotted wing drosophila fruit fly trap? But most people would rather not eat insect-infested fruit. Back to Problems of Tree Fruits. Dreves says unless the berry has rotted, it’s still perfectly safe to eat. A: I think you have spotted some larvae of the spotted wing drosophila (SWD). Spotted wing drosophila may be mistaken for other adult flies and maggots. This insect is the spotted wing drosophila, says Don Lewis, PhD, a professor and extension entomologist at the Iowa State University department of entomology in Ames. Infested fruit are safe to eat. When the eggs hatch, the larvae feed inside, which causes one side of the berry to soften and collapse. ... Fruit Fly or a Spotted Wing Drosophila or SWD. I included a video actually showing the larvae crawling around in the raspberry. Claim: A saltwater solution will force insect pests out of infested strawberries. Fruits like cherries will show visible dents around the larvae. You don’t notice the larvae until later. “It’s a … May is the time to look for spotted wing drosophila (SWD), a relatively new pest of fruit plants in Maryland. Spotted wing Drosophila (SWD), ... Eggs hatch in 2 to 72 hours, resulting in small larvae in harvested fruit. After maturing, the larvae partially or completely exit the fruit to pupate. In my last post I introduced the spotted wing drosophila fruit fly and how damaging it is. Larvae are tiny, white cylindrical maggots a little longer than 1/8 inch when full grown. — A viral video showing worms crawling around split cherry has some refusing to eat cherries again saying they aren't safe. This is a new pest in the Southeast.