Mysterious seed packets from China sent to dozens of people in 3 states, officials say

Kansas City Star ^ | 07/24/2020 | Maddie Capron

[PurVirgo]

A strange package has been sent to people in multiple states: random, unidentified seeds from China.

Residents in Washington, Utah and Virginia have received small packages of seeds in the mail that appear to be sent from China, officials said.

“Today we received reports of people receiving seeds in the mail from China that they did not order,” the Washington State Department of Agriculture said Friday. “The seeds are sent in packages usually stating that the contents are jewelry. Unsolicited seeds could be invasive, introduce diseases to local plants, or be harmful to livestock.”

...snippity snip snip...

“Invasive species wreak havoc on the environment, displace or destroy native plants and insects and severely damage crops,” the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said in a statement Friday. “Taking steps to prevent their introduction is the most effective method of reducing both the risk of invasive species infestations and the cost to control and mitigate those infestations.”

...more snippety for brevity...

In Utah, at least 40 people had received mysterious seeds, Fox 13 reported. It is unclear how many people in Virginia and Washington were mailed a package of seeds, but officials said “several.”

[AppyPappy]

Seems strange to see all these stories about the seeds and still no one can identify them

[BillyBonebrake]

Exactly. So far all joke threads. Not funny. Awaiting the rest of the story.

[Thermalseeker]

The seeds might not be what you think. Suppose they’re being used as a grow medium for an invasive fungus or bacteria? Or, maybe an invasive insect larvae?

[Thermalseeker]

A buddy of mine and I used to ride our mountain bikes through a woodsy area that was covered in decades of kudzu growth. After a summer rain I swear you can hear kudzu growing. It makes a faint stretching sound. Weird to say the least.

[Pilsner]

As a student of NBC (Nuclear, Biological & Chemical) warfare many years ago, I am wondering what kind of contaminants may be on the outside of the seed packet and inside of the shipping package?

And why would anyone abroad trying to introduce NBC material in this country do so by placing mysterious, attention drawing, seeds, which have clearly been introduced into this country in violation of Federal law concerning agricultural imports, in a package marked jewelry? Why not just put 50¢ of costume jewelry in the package?

I think it more likely this is a shipping foul up, with a decent chance that a seller in China ships seeds to US customers in envelopes marked "jewelry" to evade Federal law on agricultural imports, and give their customers some measure of deniability if the shipment is discovered.

[EEGator]

Put on your Level 4 MOPP gear...

[Hiddigeigei]

The Japanese (Chinese?) make a high-grade flour from kudzu tubers.

[null and void]

Seems strange to see all these stories about the seeds and still no one can identify them

Rather.

Not word one about the seed types, or whether they've been inoculated with plant (or human!) pathogens!

Surely someone knows.

Why don't they say, hmmmmm?

The government wants to disarm us after 244 yrs 'cuz they plan to do things we would shoot them for!

At no point in history has any government ever wanted its people to be defenseless for any good reason ~ nully's son

The biggest killer of mankind

Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping!

To get onto The Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping List you must threaten to report me to the Mods if I don't add you to the list...

[bgill]

Pictures show different types of seeds.

Don’t trust anything from China or Africa.

[little jeremiah]

Triffids.

[null and void]

Worth repeating:

Don’t trust anything from China or Africa.

[lodi90]

ePacket is such a globalist scam. A sick joke considering the return rates. Another kick in the teeth to Main Street USA from Jorge Bush.

[DJ MacWoW]

They’re different kinds. There were pics on FB and one packet looked like Pumpkin seeds and the other looked like large, black Thistle seeds.

[null and void]

“It's queer,' I said 'the ways things go on, I mean. Like a seed - it looks all shriveled and finished, you'd think it was dead, but it isn't. And now a new life is starting, coming into all this . . .'

Josella put her face in her hands.

'Oh God! Does it have to go on being like this? On - and on - and on - ?”

― John Wyndham , The Day of the Triffids

[butlerweave]

Send some chop suey back

[Dacula]

Goats love to eat kudzu

[sockmonkey]

I think the “brushing” scam seems likely with the seeds.

One person found the seeds were identified as amaranth, coleus, and two types of mint.

https://theprepared.com/blog/mysterious-seeds-in-the-mail/

[reformedliberal]

...Goats love to eat kudzu.

_______________________________

They eat poison ivy, too.

Does kudzu overcome poison ivy?

[LateBoomer]

How many people got deliberately coughed on by Asians earlier this year? I did. And I’ve heard other FReepers mention that they did as well.

Chinese sowing seeds of destruction. This is Round Two. Count on it.

I’m going to stock my pantry. Again.

[Dacula]

I have both poison ivy and kudzu on my property. It is hard to kill