Yes, that's a worm in the blackberry you just picked

Seven years ago, my friend and colleague Ann Dornfeld sent me the photo above, showcasing worms in her blackberries.

She wanted me to find out why there were worms in her blackberries. She had picked them and frozen them, and when she pulled the tray from her freezer, noticed that each berry had a tiny friend frozen on top: a worm that had been nesting inside that then climbed on top to escape the sub-zero temps, to no avail.

The story I wrote exploded. Our readers were disgusted — and also a little annoyed that we gave them information that they did not need to know, as these larvae worms are not dangerous to human health.

Now, every August, I message our social media producer to let them know it's that time of year again — let's gross out Seattle, I say, with no small amount of glee.

And here's a fascinating story about how this region got Himalayan blackberries, by Ann Dornfeld.

P.S. I picked blackberries last weekend. There were probably worms, and it didn't matter. So don't let this story ruin your summertime fun.