Things could have become pretty buggy for producers of grain and seeds if U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had been slacking on the job.
On Dec. 29 at Los Angeles International Airport, CBP intercepted a shipment of Indian rice arriving from Saudi Arabia that had live adult and larvae of khapra beetle. Khapra are considered among the world's most destructive pests, one of the top 100 most invasive species.
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Once infestations are established, the species of beetle is difficult to exterminate because it has the ability to survive for long periods of time without food and can survive with little moisture. They have also shown a resilience to insecticides and fumigants.
Once the potentially problematic shipment was discovered, it was immediately quarantined per USDA standards. Then the shipment was properly destroyed.
Our hats off to the men and women at the CBP. One less destructive life force to deal with.
