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US Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists (CBPAS) in International Falls, Minnesota and Detroit, Michigan have working together discovered a khapra beetle (trogoderma granarium), one of the world's most feared, stored-product pests, in a railway container carrying tile that was shipped into the US from China.
The beetle was uncovered during an inspection in International Falls by CBPAS officers, who became concerned that the rail car they were inspecting could be infested with wood boring pests in the packing materials, reports SooToday.com, of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario.
The CBPAS officials then notified their partners in Detroit to request further inspection when the container arrived there.
The report said that an initial investigation at a Detroit warehouse, where the container was being stored, revealed no signs of pests.
CBPAS' then used a broom to sweep up sawdust and residue within the container and, upon examining it, found a pest found to be a khapra beetle, of the 100 worst invasive species as it destroys wheat, peanuts, barley, oats, corn and dried orange pulp.
"The teamwork that went into this discovery, by federal agriculture specialists from different ports of entry, is an example of how our agency works to secure our borders every day," said Christopher Perry, Director of Field Operations, Detroit Field Office, CBP. |
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