INDIANAPOLIS — Hoosiers are starting to report mysterious packages of seeds showing up in their mailboxes, according to the Office of Indiana State Chemist.
Indiana is just the latest state reporting the mysterious packages, which appear to have originated from China and contain packages of unknown seeds.
Don Robison, Seed Administrator for the OISC, says they have received reports from several agencies across the state about seeds showing up in the mail, although exact locations of where the seeds have been reported are not being released.
The OISC is asking Hoosiers who receive mysterious packages containing seeds not to plant them and to turn them over for proper disposal.
The Purdue Extension Office in Montgomery County posted an alert on their Facebook page Tuesday warning anyone who receives a suspicious package of seeds from China not to plant them or throw them away.
"The package itself may be labeled as 'jewelry' or 'ring' or something along those lines, but end up containing small packages of seeds," the alert said. "We don't know whether these seeds are harmless or potentially invasive."
Anyone who receives a suspicious package of seeds in the mail should send the seeds and all packaging to:
USDA APHIS PPQ
Nick Johnson
3059 North Morton Street
Franklin, IN 46131
Robison says USDA-APHIS will take the lead on collecting the seeds as they come into their offices.
