Baltimore CBP Intercepts Destructive Long-Horned Beetles
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists in Baltimore made a gross discovery.
CBP agriculture specialists came across a swarm of destructive long-horned beetle larvae.
Agriculture specialists discovered frass on the shipping container floor while examining a shipment of waterslides from China that were destined to a small town in central Pennsylvania.
A closer examination revealed live larvae boring inside a damaged shipping pallet. In all, CBP agriculture specialists discovered 14 live larvae within five shipping containers of waterslides from China.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologist identified the larvae as a species of Spondylidinae (Cerambycidae). Long-horned beetle larvae are voracious wood borers that can cause extensive damage to living trees or untreated lumber.
CBP issued an Emergency Action Notification to the importer that required the shipment to be re-exported and issued a penalty for non-compliant wood packaging material.