The salt creates an inhospitable environment.
The larvae react to the change in salinity.
They instinctively wriggle out of the fruit to escape.
It’s not that the salt water creates the worms — it simply reveals what may already be present.
Is This Common?
Yes, especially in homegrown, farmers market, or organic berries where pesticide use is minimal or absent. Even commercially grown strawberries can occasionally harbor larvae, though strict agricultural controls reduce the likelihood.
The larvae are usually:
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Very small (a few millimeters long)
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White or translucent
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Soft-bodied and legless
