Destructive beetle spotted trying to enter Detroit

A South Asian bug described as one of the world’s most destructive agricultural pests has shown up at Detroit ports of entry, U.S. authorities said Wednesday.
“They’ve been found locally and nationally,” said Chief Ron Smith of the Detroit Customs and Border Protection office. “We’ve had seven confirmed this year at Detroit, a couple in bags at the airport and in commercial shipments.”
Canadian and American authorities say that, despite the increase in numbers, the khapra beetle has not yet gained a foothold in North America.
In the U.S., Customs and Border Protection agricultural specialists say they’ve caught 158 of the beetles trying to sneak into the country so far this year, more than the total interceptions reported last year.
The interceptions were made from passengers and cargo from air, land and sea ports of entry by 11 CBP field offices across the country, including Detroit.
The pest is native to India but has invaded many tropical and subtropical countries in Africa, Asia as well as parts of Europe and South and Central America. They stow away in cracks and crevices in burlap bags, sacks, crates, railcars, ship holds and trucks. In some cases they have been found among the luggage of travellers arriving from vacations abroad.
21/09/11 Don Lajore/The Windsor Star

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: airports Sep 2011, Foreign Sep 2011