LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Department of Agriculture has been made aware of reports of homeowners throughout the United States receiving unsolicited seeds in the mail that appear to have been shipped from China.

Per Steve Lyle, spokesperson for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, such seed packets shouldn’t be opened, shipped or disposed of by residents to prevent potential dispersal of invasive species and/or quarantine pests.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s official statement on this matter can be found here.

The United States Department of Agriculture said in a statement on the matter, “At this time, we don’t have any evidence indicating this is something other than a ‘brushing scam’ where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales. USDA is currently collecting seed packages from recipients and will test their contents and determine if they contain anything that could be of concern to U.S. agriculture or the environment.”

Should you receive one of these packages, the Lake County Department of Agriculture urges you not to open or plant any unsolicited seed packets.

Instead, please retain the seeds, packaging and mailing label, and bring all of these to the Department of Agriculture at 883 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport.

For more information, the Lake County Department of Agriculture can be reached at 707-263-0217, or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..