Ag Specialists Keep Mother’s Day Flowers Safe

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

WASHINGTON — U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists have inspected over 1.2 million imported cut flowers in preparation for Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day is the second-busiest time of year for flower imports behind Valentine’s Day, for which CBP reported over 1.3 billion cut flowers, a record-high. Miami is the number one port of entry for flowers, accounting for about 88% of the imported stem total. Otay Mesa and John F. Kennedy Airport account for most of the remaining 12%.

"Flowers are a wonderful gift for Mother’s Day, but they could also be a hiding place for dangerous pests that could harm our country,” Miami and Tampa Field Offices Director Carlos C. Martel said. “I commend our CBP agriculture specialists for the incredible work they do every day. They are the first line of defense against destructive pests. Their vigilance and dedication inspecting cut flowers ensure these flowers are free from invasive pests, and our nation’s agriculture is protected.”

While a relatively small number of harmful pests are found among the millions of stems inspected by CBP, a single dangerous pest like Nysius, commonly called a seed bug or milkweed bug, could cause millions of dollars of damage to U.S. crops. As of May 4, agriculture specialists have discovered 552 pests in 1,081 intercepted Mother’s Day shipments. Before importing flowers, plant materials, and other agricultural items, consult the CBP Info Center section on the CBP website.