Contraband Roses: Beautiful Flowers, Ugly Bugs
Unwanted pests may be lurking in your Valentine's Day bouquets.
Feb. 10, 2011— -- Valentine's Day flowers are a close to $2 billion business and one of the top ways of saying, "I love you."
So how would you feel if the flowers you sent or received were infested with exotic insects or diseases?
More than half of the flowers sold in the United States are imported from other countries.
Each day during the Valentine's season, Jan. 1 – Feb. 14, John F. Kennedy Airport in New York receives thousands of flowers.
And those flowers can arrive with unwanted hitchhikers – exotic insects that don't exist in this country.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialists are working to keep out foreign pests that could wreak havoc on U.S.-grown flowers and food crops.
"It could damage our agricultural industry," said Robert Redes, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer, chief of Cargo Branch C at JFK airport.
Specialists inspect imported flowers right at the airport. Most imports are from Colombia and Ecuador.
Redes said their work protects the U.S. against the adverse economic impact of threatening plant pests and diseases.
"It really secures our way of life," said Redes.
