Houseflies on blackberries?

s7ryf3925pivug

Lots of flies like houseflies on ripe blackberries in our garden. Also slightly larger similar types of flies. gross and odd? Only flies I get around compost or other fruit is fruit flies.

Graces7

Tyson Magnificent Production wrote: »

Lots of flies like houseflies on ripe blackberries in our garden. Also slightly larger similar types of flies. gross and odd? Only flies I get around compost or other fruit is fruit flies.

They are after a food source to lay their eggs in. Quite common on days without wind.

fryup

Graces7 wrote: »

They are after a food source to lay their eggs in. Quite common on days without wind.

so its risky eating blackberries in the wild then?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

fryup wrote: »

so its risky eating blackberries in the wild then?

Only Raspberry Beetles (I know, they frequent blackberries), or sawflies (yellow to brown in colour) lay eggs in blackberries and those are the grubs occasionally found in the fruit. Most flies are just after a source of sugars.

The proportion of blackberries affected is tiny. The only fruits to avoid are those growing along roadways, as they pick up dirt and particles from passing traffic fumes.

macraignil

fryup wrote: »

so its risky eating blackberries in the wild then?

Food is rarely completely sterile and most people can cope with normal levels of microbes on the surface of food. The danger from food poisoning is generally worse if the numbers of pathogenic bacteria get a chance to multiply in the food but since the flies generally wouldn't get bacteria into the sugar rich inside of the fruit I think the risk of ingesting a dangerous amount of pathogens just from flies having landed on the fruit would be relatively low. At the same time if the blackberry bush was growing out of an old septic tank I would be reluctant to eat the fruit. I think fly eggs should be broken down in the digestive system so could give a bit of extra protein if they were eaten by mistake. If you have a compromised immune system or are pregnant then I think people need to be a bit more careful about what they eat. I have eaten lots of fruit grown out doors and not noticed any ill effects.

s7ryf3925pivug

I'm asking because my 19 month old is liking them a lot. Not really concerned on my own behalf.

The flies are very much on one particular bush. Don't know if that is because that one has the ripest berries, or if they are drawn to something nasty in the area. There are lots of flies - sometimes multiple flies on a
berry at a time. There is a cow field behind our garden so we get greater fnumbers of flies than average in general.

There are horseflies on it too. Gross bastards. My kid got a bite off one.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Tyson Magnificent Production wrote: »

I'm asking because my 19 month old is liking them a lot. Not really concerned in my own behalf.

The flies are very much on one particular bush. Don't know if that is because that one has the ripest berries, or if they are drawn to something nasty in the area. There are lots of flies - sometimes multiple flies on a
berry at a time. There is a cow field behind our garden so we get greater fnumbers of flies than average in general.

There are horseflies on it too. Gross bastards. My kid got a bite off one.

Apart from bites from horseflies, the fruit should be fine. But as always, it should be washed before eating, if at all possible.

looksee

I rather doubt they are house flies - I have seen lots of fly type wildlife on blackberries but not houseflies.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

looksee wrote: »

I rather doubt they are house flies - I have seen lots of fly type wildlife on blackberries but not houseflies.

True, there are dozens of very common fly species out there. "housefly type" would cover many of them.

recedite

I eat the firm ones. If they are overripe or feel too squishy I discard them, cos those are the ones that might have something living in them.
Probably best not to look too closely at them, because even if there is something in there, it won't do you any harm. Its just the thought of it.

Thud

not too sure if there's any truth to it but we were told as kids if you can see a clean white bit at the top where they were attached to the bush they were ok, if that's mushy or off colour avoid

Graces7

fryup wrote: »

so its risky eating blackberries in the wild then?

Not at all and they are full of good things.

As long as they are ripe and not squishy. squishy tastes awful..

opinions and experience vary; here we get house flies and other flies, no wasps. bees and yes, eggs get laid in berries when they are going off. Here frequently.

Other risks are less; if we get six cars in a day it is a traffic jam - as opposed to blackberry jam.

I tend to freeze until I have enough to jam and juice which increases the vitamin C content; as a professional jam maker that suits me better and also I do have immune issues so raw is not always good. Still using jam and juice from last year;s and picking daily now .

Let the little ones enjoy healthy berries!

s7ryf3925pivug

Here's a pic of one from the other day. Hoping you're right that they're not houseflies. Cluster flies maybe? I killed tens of them earlier today on the rear external wall of my house. I'll have another look at them with what I read about differentiating them in mind. I definitely noticed they are easier to swat than I would expect. Definitely a relief if ncluster flies as they don't transmit disease.

There's a field with cows in it behind my house, but I was working on a patch right beside it all afternoon and saw a total of one fly, so it seems like that might not be the source.

s7ryf3925pivug

nah think they are mainly houseflies, the ones on the rear wall anyway. Any ideas why they like my rear wall so much? Maybe they are coming from something in that bush. Feral cats, foxes, lots of birds and their nests and fieldmice all appear in my garden.... My dog has killed her share of small animals too though I think she's too old now and don't see her leaving something to rot in bushes.

fryup

Any ideas why they like my rear wall so much?

they're catching the sun