Do worms in figs ruin your appetite? Read here how maggots get into figs. This is how you effectively prevent worms in figs. Find out here why the fig wasp is blameless for maggot-infested figs.
How to prevent worms in figs?
Worms in figs come fromCherry vinegar flies, which lay their eggs in the fruit. By covering a fig tree with a fine-mesh insect protection net at the beginning of May, you can prevent worm infestation in figs. Storage in the refrigerator and organic funnel traps prevent worms in fresh figs.
Which worms can attack figs?
The most common worms in figs are maggots of thecherry vinegar fly (Drosophila suzukii). The pest from the fruit fly family (Drosophilidae) has been spreading explosively in Central Europe since 2014 and attacks all stone fruits and berries, including figs. Females lay their eggs in half-ripe and ripe figs with toothed stingers, which transform into voracious worms.
Tiny worms in imported figs are nematode species Pristionchus borbonicus. The worms were recently discovered on an island in the Indian Ocean.
How to prevent worms in figs?
Proven prevention measures against worms in home-grown figs areInsect protection netandFleece cover for the tree discThe best way to protect your figs from worms in the fruit bowl is to store them in a cool place or use afunnel trap Further details in brief:
- Cover the fig tree in the bed and pot with extra fine-meshed insect protection net from the beginning of May.
- Cover the tree disc on the fig tree in the garden with fleece.
- Ideally store fresh figs in the refrigerator.
- Protect figs in the fruit bowl from worm infestation with a self-made or purchased funnel trap against fruit flies.
Is the fig wasp responsible for worms in figs?
The fig wasp isnot to blame for worms in figs, despite the special fertilization. Commercially available edible figs come from the real fig (Ficus carica). The common fig depends on the pollen of a longhorn fig to pollinate its purely female flowers. Fig wasps are responsible for transport. Female fig wasps penetrate the fruit, pollinate the inverted inflorescence, lay their eggs, die and decompose. Young fig wasps leave the fruit. As a result, the figs contain no maggots or residue from fig wasps.
Tip
Eating figs every day keeps you he althy
If figs are on the daily menu, he alth and well-being benefit. Figs are filling, aid digestion and put you in a good mood with their sweet, aromatic taste. The low-calorie superfood is rich in fiber and he althy minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. Ideally, you eat fresh figs with the peel on. Just 2 to 4 dried figs (40 grams) cover a third of your daily mineral requirements.
