The same approach applies to raspberries, blueberries, and cherries — all fruit that the female SWD can infest by piercing the skin before the berry shows any sign of damage. After soaking, discard the water and rinse the berries briefly before eating. The larvae themselves are described as not dangerous, but the soak gives you the choice of what ends up on your plate.
The Spotted Wing Drosophila is an established agricultural pest, and researchers and growers continue to monitor its spread across berry-producing regions. For consumers, the main open question is how widely the insect is present in commercially sold fruit at any given time — a figure that varies by season, geography, and farming practices, and one the current viral moment has done little to quantify.
