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Seattle — With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists working at U.S. ports of entry are busy making sure that flower imports used in Valentine’s Day bouquets are free from insects, pests and diseases that could harm the agricultural and floral industries of the United States.

Locally, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, CBP agriculture specialists recently intercepted thrips (Thrips palmi) from a shipment of Mokara orchid stems from Thailand. Thrips are tiny insects that suck the sap from leaves and flowers. Thrips palmi, a.k.a. the melon thrips, attack many species of flowers and vegetables. They are native to Asia, but have been detected in crops in Florida. If they became widely distributed in the U.S., they could cause considerable damage and losses to greenhouse-grown flowers including carnations, chrysanthemums and hibiscus. In this January case, the pest risk was mitigated by fumigation of the flowers prior to release.

At the port of Blaine in January, CBP agriculture specialists also intercepted a thrips on carnations from Colombia. Cut flowers from many countries are imported into Canada and then shipped to the United States. This shipment of flowers remained in Canada.

“Although these items appear to be harmless, there could be hidden threats in those shipments of fresh flowers that could seriously threaten U.S. agriculture, our natural resources and our economy,” said Thomas Winkowski, assistant commissioner for CBP’s office of field operations. “CBP highly trained agriculture specialists ensure that plant diseases and even microscopic pests are detected and prevented from being introduced into United States where they could cause harm.” ( Image Library Photo: AgricultureSpecialists )

Nationally, CBP processed approximately 500 million cut flower stems during the 2008 Valentine’s season (from January 1 to February 14, 2008). The top six exporting countries of cut flowers are: Columbia, Ecuador, Mexico, Netherlands, Costa Rica and Thailand. The top flower imports include: mixed bouquets, Dianthus, Chrysanthemum and Alstroemeria.

At international ports of entry, land borders and mail facilities, CBP agriculture specialists are the front line in the fight against the introduction of harmful insects, pests and diseases into the United States. On a typical day in fiscal year 2008, the 2,277 agriculture specialists employed by CBP seized 4,125 prohibited meat, plant materials or animal products, including 435 agricultural pests at ports of entry.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.