Phoenix CBP Agriculture Specialists Discover Destructive Pest in Cut Flower Shipment
July 9, 2009In a joint effort between U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), CBP and USDA employees inspecting shipments of cut flowers imported through Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport discovered a destructive pest in a shipment from Thailand, preventing what could have had a devastating impact on the cut flower and agricultural industry in the United States.
“By discovering this pest on what should have been a routine importation of orchids, we’ve averted what could have been a major problem for those that work in both the cut flower and the agricultural industry not only here in Arizona, but possibly other parts of the country,” said Port Director Don Anderson.
While inspecting a shipment of orchids coming from Thailand for plant pests and diseases on June 29, CBP agriculture specialists noticed what appeared to be thrips among the flowers. They worked with USDA to identify the insects, which turned out to be Thrips palmi (better known as melon thrips), which pose a significant risk to a variety of ornamental and agricultural crops.
The flowers were fumigated to kill the pest and allowed to continue to their destination.
The melon thrips feeds on more than 200 different variety of ornamental and agricultural crops, including onions, peppers, melons, cucumbers, soybeans, cotton, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, orchids, and sunflowers. The pest is a major threat in many countries in Asia, South and Central America, and Europe. In the United States, it has limited distribution in Florida and Hawaii.
