Officials Warn Not To Plant Mystery Seeds Showing Up In The Packages In Minnesota, Elsewhere In U.S.
It's always exciting when you get home and find a package in your mailbox, especially me who orders a lot of things online, but for some Minnesota residents the package they have received is not a welcome one, and is a bit of a mystery.
Officials have issued warnings to the general public after they have received several reports of packages of seeds being delivered to their home. The packages appear to be coming form China and one from Kyrgyzstan. The packages (as seen in the images below) are identified on the packaging in some cases as jewelry, though that is not what the package actually contains. This makes identifying what is being shipped a little harder for outlets like the USPS.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is unsure as to what theses particular seeds are or where exactly they came from. These seeds have also been appearing in states like Louisiana, Utah, Virginia and Washington. How random is that?
The package of seeds also comes with instructions on how to plant them, which of course YOU SHOULD NOT DO! Instead the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) want's you to send the packages to them. Do not throw them away!
Denise Thiede, MDA’s Seed Unit Supervisor said to Bring Me The News "We’re uncertain what these seeds may be and why people are receiving these unsolicited package. Until we know more, we encourage people to contact us because of the risk they may pose to Minnesota agriculture and our natural landscapes."
Again, while you might have the instinct to just throw them out, that is not the thing to do. Animals could get into your garbage and accidentally spread the seeds, or they could find their way into the wild as part of the normal trash removal process. You should keep the seeds in their packaging and report them.
If you or anyone you know receives one of these packages, please contact the MDA Arrest The Pest line at 1-888-545-6684 or e-mail arrest.the.pest@state.mn.us They ask that you provide your name, contact information and the date you received the package.