GOT SEEDS IN THE MAIL? DO NOT PLANT THEM!!!

[orleans]

Last edited Tue Jul 28, 2020, 03:11 PM - Edit history (2)

27 States Issue Warnings About Seed Packets From China
State agriculture officials are urging residents not to plant the seeds, which were mailed in pouches featuring Chinese characters.

"Officials in at least 27 states are urging residents to report any unsolicited packages of seeds that appear to have been sent from China, warning that they might be invasive or otherwise harmful.

The agriculture departments in those states have issued statements in recent days, noting that residents had reported receiving packages of seeds in the mail that they had not ordered. Based on photos, the seeds appear to have been mailed in white pouches displaying Chinese lettering and the words “China Post,” though photos released by the Ohio Department of Agriculture show that seeds have also been sent in yellow envelopes.

Some of the packages were labeled to say they contained jewelry, according to the Kansas Department of Agriculture. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry reported that some of the packages were labeled to say they contained earbuds or toys."

~~
"Officials warned people not to plant the seeds. It was not immediately clear what types of seeds they were, but Mike Strain, the Louisiana agriculture and forestry commissioner, said in an interview that it appeared that waterlily seeds were among those received by residents of his state."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/26/us/seeds-from-china-mail.html



this is some weird shit
call DA & find out how to dispose of them so they don't sprout
see this helpful link from a duer
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=13820303

[underpants]

1. I traded mine to some kid for a cow.

I dunno. Could be a giant mistake.

[Throck]

7. No No No

Too damn funny.

[pandr32]

15. Bwa-ha-ha!

[central scrutinizer]

45. Fuck, there's a giant climbing down

Into my garden and he looks pissed. I’m holding you responsible.

[TheCowsCameHome]

47. Wait, let's have a head quick count.

[Luciferous]

48. 😄

[C_U_L8R]

2. Be careful how you throw them away

They could just sprout up somewhere else. I'd say burn em if you can.

[hatrack]

3. Yes, burn them - propane torch them on your driveway

.

[SharonAnn]

4. I'll have to microwave them?

[hatrack]

5. That'd probably do the trick . . .

[magicarpet]

9. Careful,... don't make a mutant seed....

[TeamPooka]

17. Burning is my advice also because plants grow in landfills.

[MuseRider]

29. That is what I was wondering.

What are they telling people to do with them? If they have not provided that advice we had better hope they are not dangerous. Really, what could they possibly be other than maybe just another reason to hate or fear China? Make me go Huuuum.

[Mossfern]

67. This may be answered further down the thread

but I was instructed by the County agricultural agent to to report it to the State Ag department. Not to open the packet, take photos or the packet and put it in a safe place and wait for further instructions. They will most likely ask for the seed packets to be shipped to them.

After I read the rest of the thread, I can copy and paste the email I received. I'm a Master Gardener so the information I received should be accurate. Of course, this is for New Jersey but I can imagine that similar instructions were put out by other States. The problem is that some people won't know about the possible dangers of the seeds, think "What fun!" and plant them to see what happens.

[MuseRider]

69. Thank you. n/t

[pnwmom]

24. Right. Throwing them away is bad advice. The DA says to burn them

or to call them and they'll tell you where to send them.

[orleans]

34. i'll try to change the top line here n/t

[nilram]

6. Ditto the 'burn them' thought. They could take hold even in a random dump.

[Throck]

8. Biological warfare

I weep for humanity.

[Zambero]

10. Lest they be the next Kudzu curse

[SWBTATTReg]

11. Better yet, throw them over the Chinese Embassy walls and let them grow there, or mail them back to

China.

[ProfessorGAC]

12. Maybe They're Opie Taylor's Licorice Seeds

From the Episode, The Horse Trader.
Yeah, I know way too much about the Andy Griffith Show!

[Pacifist Patriot]

13. I'm worn out.

2020 wasn't already f***ing weird enough?

[sarisataka]

14. What harm could they do?

[durablend]

23. Pod people? Too late for that

They already walk among us...and are called REPUBLICANS

[DBoon]

16. Did they come back with the latest Chinese space mission?

The Outer Limits - Specimen Unknown

[matt819]

18. I feel left out

Got no seeds.

If this is as widespread as the news reporting suggests, this is really weird. It really does make you wonder if it is some sort of bio attack. I know, I know. Tinfoil hat time. But what else could it mean? Some sort of weird prank? We have no idea how many people have received them. There is no effective federal government or federal government response to this sort of incident. So, in addition to not knowing number received, we would definitely have no way of knowing number planted. And what kind of invasive species would be planted. Can they carry/transmit viruses or bacteria? And that's only the what. Who and why just extends the weirdness.

And you can bet the feds are doing nothing. I mean, if they can't get their heads around a deadly virus, their heads would explode if they tried to sort out the mystery of the chinese beans.

[WhiteTara]

19. I recommend destroying the seeds

not just throwing them away. There is possibility they will accidentally seed and take hold.

[Brainfodder]

20. Common sense apparently not a thing, any more?

[Totally Tunsie]

21. Oh goodie - I can send them back to the Chinese place that sent me scammer masks!

Seems fair.

[NameAlreadyTaken]

22. Mine already sprouted...

[MuseRider]

27. Seymour Krelborn!

Strange fruit!

[LisaL]

39. Lovely.

[leftyladyfrommo]

25. Just read it's a scam . Send product out to fake

customers and then write good reviews for yourself.

[Jirel]

26. LOL, I'd plant them.

No, not outside. Inside, in controlled spaces because I actually want to know what they are. They can always be burned later.

I just want to know WHY.

[central scrutinizer]

46. White House rose garden?

Melodrama may have some spots

[Jirel]

63. Or that!

Good use of mystery seeds!

[Disaffected]

28. I would recommend

smoking them or making cookies.

Then report results here...

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

35. I have burned a few seeds in my day. ...

When they pop, you get burn holes in your favorite t-shirt.

Be warned.

Dude.

[LaMouffette]

30. Did the seeds REALLY come from China???

Or is this part of the Trump 2020 election campaign's "Blame China!" strategy to get Typhoid Trump reelected?

I can seriously see a group of his demented followers putting together such a plan. Sounds very Steve Bannon-y, in my opinion.

Or maybe this was suggested to Trump by Putin during one of their recent "strategizing" phone calls.

"Those seeds didn't send themselves!" But I am not convinced that the Chinese sent them.

[Delphinus]

43. I was

kind of wondering the same thing - do we have any real proof it came from them? It's not above the dotard's mis-administration to try to further give China a bad name.

[Amishman]

65. Yes, they really came from China

Since they were sent like any other package they can easily backtrack them.

[Delphinus]

66. OK - thank you.

It's easy to get lost in all that is going on.

[catsudon]

70. er, i do blame china

i dislike ccp even before rump, i'm capable of disliking them at the same time.

i'm glad trump have an expiration date, while the ccp does not, so we have to be diligent and call ccp out for their suppression of xingjang people.

if anything. trump probably have a secret deal with china, to have them play the bad guys to get him elected.
how else would you explain some of xi's policy that seems to turn the world against them?

[stopdiggin]

31. surprised that there's been no identification

(that I've seen) With all the resources at our fingertips? This is (at most) a two day project for any botany or horticultural lab in the country.

[LeftInTX]

54. Really. You would think.

I am getting emails though from our local agents

Who knows?

[cab67]

58. I can think of two reasons

1. The packets may contain several types of seeds. Different packets may have different combinations.

2. It might be possible to identify seeds to a coarse systematic level, but to get a precise ID, there are only two solutions - plant them and see what grows, or run the DNA. Either one works, but neither offers an immediate answer. It takes time to isolate, purify, amplify, and sequence a DNA sample.

[stopdiggin]

64. good answer. I'll go with that

1) had already reared it's head as a good possibility (particularly if this is a sham or a spoof of some sort to begin with)
2) would be greatly exacerbated by the likelihood of #1 (but could still be done, and reported, in a timely manner --if for no other reason than to quell public anxiety)

[yellowdogintexas]

32. per my niece who works for the Department of Agriculture

This info is specific to Tennessee as far as reporting goes but the instructions would be the same; just use the address for your state's department of Agriculture

UPDATED INFORMATION 7.28.2020

Our partners at USDA believe this may be a “brushing scam” where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales.

While we have no reason to suspect at this time that these seeds were sent with ill intention, we want to take every precaution to be sure an invasive or otherwise threatening plant species doesn’t take hold here.

- What should a person do if they received seeds?
Don’t plant them.

Double bag the seeds and all packaging and send to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, to the attention of Plant Certification.
- Our mailing address is P.O. Box 40627
Nashville, TN 37204
- Our UPS or FedEx address is 436 Hogan Road.
Nashville, TN 37220

We need your name, contact information, and where you live.

- What if a person received seeds but doesn’t want to ship them to us?
Please notify the Tennessee Department of Agriculture that you received unsolicited seeds. Call Plant Certification at 615-837-5137 or email our Plant Certification Administrator Anni Self at [e-mail]. We need your name, contact information, and where you live, as well as what you received. Photos are also helpful.

- If you are not shipping the seeds to TDA and prefer to just dispose of them, please double bag them and put them in the trash. It’s not a good idea to compost them.

- What should a person do if they planted the seeds?
We recommend pulling up the plants, double bagging them and putting them in the trash. It’s not a good idea to compost them.
---------------------------------
ORIGINAL POST:
We are aware that Tennessee citizens are receiving seeds in the mail from other countries that they did not order.

Imported plant materials—including seeds—go through rigorous testing and inspection to ensure they are not carrying any plant disease or pests and do not pose any threat to our environment and health. It is not clear that these seeds have gone through appropriate inspection, or if they are the type of seed they are labeled to be.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture is working with our partners at USDA'S Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to determine what should be done with these seeds.

We expect to have more information soon.

In the meantime, if you receive seeds you did not order, do not plant or handle them. Seal the seeds into two (2) plastic sandwich bags and hang onto them until we receive guidance from APHIS.

You can also report to www.aphis.usda.gov/…/import-inform…/sa_sitc/ct_antismuggling

Follow @TNAgriculture on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

[The Blue Flower]

33. Official instructions from Virginia Dept of Agriculture

Thank you for emailing the Report A Pest email with the Virginia Department of Agriculture.

If you are NOT a Virginia Resident, please contact your respective Department of Agriculture. Contact information can be found here: https://nationalplantboard.org/membership/.

If you are a Virginia Resident and are reporting Mystery Seed Packages, please see below for further information.
If you still have the seed packets and shipping/packaging materials, please do the following:
Do NOT open the seed packets;
Do NOT plant the seed packets;
Do NOT compost the seeds;
Do NOT throw the seeds in the trash, flush them down the drain, or expose them to the environment in any way; and
Put all packaging materials and seeds into a Ziploc bag.
Ship all seed and packaging materials to the following address:
Chickeilla Carter
USDA-APHIS-PPQ
5657 South Laburnum Avenue
Richmond, VA 23231
If you have already planted the seeds, please take one of the following actions
Pull the plants up;
Put all plant materials in a sturdy plastic bag;
Securely seal that plastic bag;
Put that bag in another plastic bag, securely seal the bag; and
Place all, double-bagged plant materials in the trash.
For all other pest concerns, we will reach back out to you when we are available.



--
Office of Plant Industry Services
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
102 Governor Street, Room LL55
Richmond, VA 23219
Office: [phone]

[NurseJackie]

40. Grind them in the garbage disposer?

[LeftInTX]

55. No..some seeds are truly poisonous

poison ivy? Cycads? Angel trumpet? Hemlock?

No..all poisonous

[NurseJackie]

57. Yes... but nobody except the sewer rats would be interested in the pureed sludge that eventually ...

... finds its way to the main sewer lines. I'd feel safe doing that.

[cab67]

59. How confident are you that your sink will flush all of the toxin away the first time?

[NurseJackie]

60. Very.

[NurseJackie]

41. Toss them into a fire?

[Dial H For Hero]

36. Good advice, but I would guess that at *least* 90% of people are going to simply throw them away.

[LisaL]

38. I don't like the idea of burning them because I don't have a safe way to do it.

I haven't gotten any seeds by the way, but if I did, I wouldn't be burning them. I wonder if lysol or bleach would kill them?

[LeftInTX]

56. Probably the best idea

Soak them until the seed is fully saturated and mushy. (Several weeks) Drain.
Cover with salt. Allow salt to lyse and dehydrate.

[LisaL]

37. Ship them? Shipping isn't cheap.

I doubt many people are going to ship them to the Departments of Agriculture.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

42. Too late. There's another Jared in my garden now.

It came out of some pod-thingy.



(I never received those seeds anyway.)

[LeftInTX]

44. We're supposed to email our local USDA office

I got an email cuz I'm a master gardener, but heck I have no idea how the rest of the world would contact USDA or do they even want all of our seeds?.. lol

[TheCowsCameHome]

49. Mine came in a Goya can.

[Traildogbob]

50. Seeds of Doubt

About democracy so we will End elections and appoint lifetime DICKtatirs. Ivanka has a patent.

[flibbitygiblets]

51. Has anyone ordered flower seeds on Amazon?

I've done this many times, only to receive a random package of seeds ...from China. Because they're not supposed to be sending seeds to the US from China, they are labeled various names like "garden supplies" or "earrings".

So lesson learned, and passing on to others: Be sure to ask where any seeds you order online are coming from.

Yes, I destroyed them.

[jorgevlorgan]

62. Mine said "wire connecter"

I think we will destroy ours as well.

[jorgevlorgan]

52. Got some yesterday. My wife thinks she ordered them on Amazon.

It said "contents: wire connecter" and when I opened them it was a small package of black seeds. The package came from somewhere in shenzen

[yaesu]

53. I planted mine, grew a huge beanstock, went way up in the sky, climbed it, saw a giant

[blogslut]

61. If I get a pack I'll make some art with it.

Maybe a collage. I've been making a lot of art this ridiculous year.

[onetexan]

68. i'm curious whether the Agricultural Dept or anyone planted one of these seeds to see exactly what

they are - planted in a controlled environment to ensure it doesn't spread of course.

If it hasn't been done, how does the Ag Dept know the seeds are a dangerous species?