BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) announced on Monday afternoon that about 20 Idahoans have received unsolicited packages of seeds that were shipped from China.
They urged anyone who received the seeds to avoid opening the packages and not plant the seeds.
On Tuesday, KTVB spoke with two Treasure Valley residents who said they received packages of seeds in the mail.
"It's worrisome, I don't know what those seeds are and I don't know why I would get them from China," said Boise resident Carrie Colby.
She received a package containing seeds last week.
"Every once in a while, I will order something and it will come from China, but it comes with a packing slip and the order history," Colby said.
The seed delivery did not include those documents, but instead, the label on the package said it contained jewelry.
"It's worrisome," Colby said. "I don't know what those seeds are and I don't know why I would get them from China."
Brittany Fernandez also received seeds in the mail, but she received them two months ago.
"I opened it up and there were little, tiny, reddish seeds in a little zip lock bag," Fernandez said. "I shop on Amazon weekly, but I will definitely start making sure that places where I do buy from, that they're legitimate companies and be more aware in the future."
Officials said other states have reported similar incidents and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service does know of the situation.
The state recommends that anyone who receives the seeds follow some guidelines.
- Do not plant the seeds
- Do not open the packages
- Contact the Idaho office of USDA APHIS at (208) 373-1600
- Hold on the label and seed package
- Wait for further instruction from USDA about disposal and follow-up
Officials did not state what kind of seeds were found in the packages.