ALVIN, Texas — The Alvin Police Department is warning residents about mysterious bags of seeds that are being delivered by mail.
"We are beginning to see some of the mysterious bags of seeds from China being mailed to addresses in Alvin," they posted on Facebook. "The USDA believes this to be a scam, but urges everyone NOT to plant the seeds in case they are an invasive species of plant."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is on high alert since the seeds are unsolicited and coming in bags marked as jewelry. The bags also have Chinese writing and a return address in China.
"Companies that sell these seeds have the necessary permits," said Dr.Kevin Ong, with theTexas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. "In this situation, the source is not readily known. What USDA wants to know is why are people getting these and are they noxious weeds?"
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If you get the seeds:
- Do not open the bag.
- You shouldn't throw them away either in case they start growing.
- Instead, keep the bag in a safe spot and report to USDA for instructions.
- Send an email to Carol Motlock, with the USDA-Animal, Plant Health Inspection Service at carol.m.motloch@usda.gov. Be sure to put your contact email and phone number in the email with a description of the package information. It also helps to include a picture of the package label.
"I am urging folks to take this matter seriously," said Sid Miller (Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner). "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."
Some people have also received masks from China. You should also report these.