There Are Mystery Seeds Showing Up in Texas Mailboxes – Here’s What To Do If You Get Some

Texas citizens are being warned by the United States Department of Agriculture about bags that contain seeds from China that are being found in mailboxes.

According to KSAT TV, officials are asking people who receive these unsolicited bags of seeds not to plant or throw them away, but to report them to the USDA.

Sid Miller, The Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture, said via press release to take this matter seriously:

“I am urging folks to take this matter seriously. An invasive plant species might not sound threatening, but these small invaders could destroy Texas agriculture. TDA has been working closely with USDA to analyze these unknown seeds so we can protect Texas residents.”

According to the report, people who receive the seeds should be careful because what’s on the label is not within the packets, and according to plant pathologist Kevin Ong, who works with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service:

“Not knowing what the seeds are could potentially open our agriculture industry up to noxious weeds. If that proves to be the case, if they take hold, they could impact agriculture negatively.”

If you receive a bag of the mystery seeds, send an email to USDA Texas PPQ state operations coordinator Carol Motloch at carol.m.motloch@usda.gov and await further instructions.

Your message should include a contact email and phone number, as well as a description of the label and photo of the package of seeds you received.

The seeds have been sent to people here in Texas, Louisiana, Washington, Virginia, Utah, Kansas, and Arizona.