More than 8,000 fruit and plant items were confiscated from travelers entering the United States from various ports throughout North Dakota and Minnesota by U.S. Customs and Border Protection this summer.
Of the items seized June through August, 26 resulted in penalties of up to $300. Eighteen of the interceptions were determined to be infested with insects or diseases of plant products that pose a threat to the U.S. agriculture industry.
"These agriculture seizures show the significant priority CBP places on our agriculture inspection program at our ports of entry," Pembina Area Port Director Mary Delaquis said in a statement today.
One significant pest interception was the discovery of several Phlaeothripidae, or thrips, at the Portal, N.D. port of entry. The thrips were discovered in a commercial shipment of pottery.
Thrips are small winged insects that feed on plant parts by puncturing the host with their mouthparts and sucking out the plant juices. They are considered major pests because they often attack commercially traded plants and crops. They feed on developing flowers, fruits or vegetables, causing discoloration, deformities and reduced marketability of the crop. Thrips may also serve as an avenue for the introduction of plant diseases.
