Paragraph: Several now-viral videos posted to Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok in May 2020 showed small insects crawling along the outside of strawberries after the fruit had been soaked in a saltwater solution. Collectively, the videos received hundreds of thousands of views and sparked many questions about the methodology. Social media users filled a bowl with water and table salt. Once the salt had dissolved, strawberries were said to have been submerged in the solution for “about 30 minutes” after which point small “worms” could be seen crawling around the outside of the berry. WAIT FOR IT… Still trying to think happy thoughts today. #fyp #foryou #strawberrieswithbugs #bugsinstrawberries #rednoseday #got2bhome  ♬ original sound – callmekristatorres    Though it is true that strawberries and other fruit may house small insects and the saltwater method is largely used by the agricultural industry as a way to detect such infestations, entomological experts at Oregon State University told Snopes that there is no scientific evidence that suggests a saltwater solution can, in fact, force pests out from infested berries. The insect in question is an invasive flying pest called spotted wing drosophila (SWD), or Drosophila suzukii. Endemic to Asia, SWD was first detected in North America in California in 2008 and has since spread to many regions of the United States where the insects are known to infect fruit crops and berries, according to Michigan State University (MSU). Female flies lay their eggs in fruit where they will ultimately hatch into a delectable habitat prime for larval feeding. If the pest is not controlled through mitigation measures, MSU adds that it is possible fruit may be harvested with larvae inside. Despite a lack of published scientific evidence, the saltwater method is one most often employed by commercial growers in order to determine whether an SWD infestation has occurred, but berry lovers of any sort can also use it to detect creepy crawlies. Claim: A saltwater solution will force insect pests out of infested strawberries. 