CBP officers intercept pavement ants found in undeclared imported plants at Detroit Metro
A colony of exotic pavement ants was found amid the root balls of two small Lebanon trees recently intercepted at Detroit Metro airport.
The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Detroit Field Office, said an inspection of the ant colony found a queen ant. The inspection by CBP agriculture specialists started with the interception of two undeclared trees from Lebanon. The ants were within the root balls of the live trees.
"Don't pack a pest - declare all plant/food items upon arrival," Detroit Field Office director Marty C. Raybon said Thursday.
A list of prohibited and restricted items can be found on the CBP website. The intention of many of those restrictions is to limit the spread of invasive species and exotic pests.
Previous reports of unwelcome agricultural pests intercepted amid imports at DTW include African bushmeat brought by travelers from Togo and Gabon, caper fruit fly larvae amid fresh flowers from Italy, and European fruit fly maggots found among fresh cherries arriving from Romania.