Authorities: Don’t plant mystery seeds

Posted 7/28/20

If you unexpectedly receive any seeds in the mail, don’t plant them, authorities say.

The Wyoming Department of Agriculture said it’s received reports of people receiving seeds from …

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Authorities: Don’t plant mystery seeds

Posted

If you unexpectedly receive any seeds in the mail, don’t plant them, authorities say.

The Wyoming Department of Agriculture said it’s received reports of people receiving seeds from China that they never ordered. Similar reports have been made in several other states, including Washington, and the Park County Sheriff’s Office said it’s aware of “at least one unconfirmed report” of it happening in the county.

On Monday, Park County Homeland Security advised local residents to “NOT” plant any surprise seeds. The department of argriculture warns that “unsolicited seeds could be invasive, introduce diseases to local plants, or be harmful to livestock.”

If you get an unexpected shipment of seeds in the mail, “Please DO NOT plant them and if they are in a sealed package, do not open the sealed package,” the ag department says.

Instead, keep the seeds and their packaging and contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in Wyoming at 307-432-7979 or Bruce.A.Shambaugh@usda.gov for instructions on what to do next.

The motive behind the mass mailings of seeds — which have generally arrived in packages that say they contain jewelry — is unknown. The Washington Department of Agriculture described the mailings as “agricultural smuggling,” though some have suggested it’s all just part of a scam to raise online ratings for certain products. (By having an item shipped to a real address, the scammers may become able to post a glowing, “verified” review for whatever product they want to promote.)

The sheriff’s office said the information about the unsolicited seeds is currently limited, but anyone with questions can contact Park County Homeland Security Director Jack Tatum at 307-527-1860.

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