Are There Dead Wasps In Figs? | Gross Science

Figs aren't exactly fruits...but that's not the only bizarre thing about them. Discover the gross world of figs!
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Host, Writer, Animator, Editor
Anna Rothschild

Camera, Production Help
Julia Davis

Illustration of Fig Cross-Section
Eliza Lehner

Chasing Tails
Music Provided by APM

Special thanks to Dr. Allen Herre

GROSS FOOTAGE AND IMAGES

Original Footage
©WGBH Educational Foundation 2016

Fig Wasps
Gregory Dimijian/Science Photo Library

Ceratosolen capensis op Ficus sur, Jan Celliers Park, a
Wikimedia Commons/JMK

2004-03-27-Chimpanzee-eatin
Wikimedia Commons/Drrobert

Great hornbill eating fig
Wikimedia Commons/Lip kee

Lineated Barbet- Eating Goolar fig (Ficus racemosa)-Kolkata IMG 5810
Wikimedia Commons/J.M.Garg

Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) eaeting figs (17277655481)
Wikimedia Commons/Bernard DUPONT

LA FRUTERA (SNYDERS)
Wikimedia Commons/Frans Snyders

Common fig - Ficus carica - Incir 2
Wikimedia Commons/Zeynel Cebeci

Mercury fig leaf
Wikimedia Commons/Sputnikcccp

Jerusalem Machne Yehuda Market (8118463247)
Wikimedia Commons/StateofIsrael

Ficus carica 1.1R
Wikimedia Commons/Rob Hille

GROSS SFX

Cockroaches
Freesound/StateAardvark­
(used with permission from author)

Squeak Pack/squeak_10
Freesound/Corsica_S

Flying Mosquito
Freesound/zywx

Bubbles Popping
Freesound/ch0cchi

Squeak_10
Freesound/Corsica_S

Jelly Mangling On Plate
Freesound/lolamadeus

Gross Science is produced by WGBH for PBS Digital Studios

[rgerber]

Wasp: May i enter?
Fig: Whats the Password:
Wasp: Figure
Fig: You may enter trough the hole, close the door behind you.

[joeyface]

When I was young my Nana would say there's bugs in those fig Newtons- to prevent us kids from eating them, later I heard it was just a myth, now I end up finding out it was true all along. I am mortified.

[sb_zg]

now you gotta throw the whole tree away

[Fizzy_Lee]

4:36 she 100% faked biting into that fig 😂

[SyriaSirlay]

It is now my life goal to inform people of this immediately as they bite into a fig.

[envydesire]

I swear if I find out watermelon has some type of bug in it me n mother nature gonna have a problem

[Lord_Viscerate]

Sometimes, we don't need to know. Thank you science.

[SilentShadow]

*Eats figs whilst watching this.*

*Continues to eat figs.*

[jayduby]

Food for thought: The FDA allows a certain % of insect parts in everything we consume.

Wasps are fairly clean insects. Much better than roaches.

[XxdeadxX]

humans: wasps are useless they don't pollinate
wasps: hold my agressive demeanor

[dwolf]

Never eaten a fig before... Now guess I never will

[flppy]

male wasp: impregnates sisters
me: *sweet home Alabama*

[ddddddddddd]

Wasp sees a fig:

It's free real estate

[static]

Dead Wasp? Don’t you mean extra Protein!?

[Isaac-yoql]

Imagine picking a fig and being like 'Oh look a fig' and then a billions wasps burst out and youre like 'Oh look a wasp'

[AliceInChains.]

I have a wild fig tree in my back yard that I eat from every year.... I'm SHOOK

[ShahedVideo]

I never knew a wasp’s life was so miserable... i feel so bad for hating them this whole time

[andrewstiller]

I lived in the Middle East for many years where fig trees are abundant. The figs there have two growing seasons - one before the wasps get to them, and the other, later in the year when the wasps find them. Figs in the later season were always juicier and sweeter.

[worstosuplayer]

Guess which fruit im not eating anymore?

apples

[WarriorsCats]

finally i have a reason behind my fig hatred