The Washington state Department of Agriculture (WSDA) said on July 24 that it received two separate reports of residents receiving seeds from China that they did not order. The package labeling indicated that jewelry was inside, but instead the residents found seeds.
The WSDA said the seeds could pose a serious threat to our farms, gardens, animals, and environment. They could be invasive, harbor pests and diseases, or harm livestock.
If you received the unsolicited international seed packages in the mail:
- Do not open the seed packets or plant the seeds.
- Double bag the seeds (for example, leave in the seed packet they came in and also put inside a sealed zip-lock bag) and put them in the regular trash. Don’t put them in a compost or recycling bin.
- If you already planted the seeds, please pull up the plants, double bag them and put them in the trash (not compost) bin.
- The WSDA said don’t burn the seeds as some seeds actually require fire and smoke to germinate, and do not grind them as that could release fungal or other plant diseases.