Protecting America’s

Plant Resources and

Ecosystems

An outbreak of an exotic plant pest or weed in the

United States could seriously damage American 

agriculture or ecosystems. People entering the

United States are often surprised when told that their

"one little piece of fruit" can cause serious damage.

In fact, one piece of fruit may contain many pests,

often microscopic, and one carelessly discarded item

can devastate American crops. For example, it is

quite likely that a traveler carried in the wormy fruit

that brought Mediterranean fruit flies to California in

1979. The 3–year fight to eradicate this pest cost

more than $100 million. Another instance is the

eradication of a voracious forest pest from Russia,

known as the Asian gypsy moth. In November 1997,

the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal

and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in

cooperation with the North Carolina Department of

Agriculture, eradicated the pest from North Carolina

in a 3–year program that cost more than $20 million.

Early detection, regulation, and eradication of

exotic plant pests and weeds within the United States

are the responsibility of APHIS’ Plant Protection and

Quarantine (PPQ) program. Within PPQ, the Pest

Detection and Management Programs (PDMP) staff

ensures adequate exotic plant pest and weed surveillance within the United States through the

Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS)

Program. PDMP also provides expertise on exotic

plant pests and maintains a high level of emergency

preparedness through the use of pest risk assessments and pathway studies. PPQ provides the 

needed resources to respond to and eliminate new

introductions of exotic plant pests and weeds in the

United States and its territories.

Guarding Against the Introduction of

Exotic Plant Pests and Weeds

Information concerning exotic pests that threaten

U.S. agriculture has been the focus of APHIS’

risk–based decision–making efforts in recent years.

The most effective way to prevent the establishment of exotic pests or weeds in the United States is

by preventing their introduction. In order to effectively

protect against such pest introductions, PPQ needs 

the help of importers, the traveling public, the transportation industry, other Federal agencies, and State

and local governments.

Anyone entering the United States or importing

products from other countries should adhere to the

following basic tips to prevent exotic plant pest or

weed introduction in the United States:

DO:

• DECLARE any meats, fruits, vegetables, plants, 

animals, and plant and animal products you are 

carrying when entering the United States.

• Pack items where they will be readily accessible.

• Make sure to check “yes” for Questions 11 and 

12 on the U.S. Customs Declaration Form.

• Follow the instructions of the Federal officers in 

the inspection area.

• Refer to the APHIS permit unit’s Web site at 

www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/permits or call the 

central office at (877) 770–5990 before traveling 

to or importing agricultural products from foreign 

countries.

DON’T:

• Bring prohibited foreign agricultural products or 

propagative materials back to the United States 

because it creates a threat to American 

agriculture and may result in clearance delays 

and possible fines.

• Import agricultural products or propagative 

materials without first checking with PPQ 

concerning permit, inspection, and certification 

requirements.

• Bring or import biological materials to the United 

States without first applying for a permit from 

PPQ.

Detecting Exotic Plant Pests and Weeds

When an exotic plant pest or weed is introduced,

it is important that it is detected early so that 

eradication or control actions can be quickly implemented. Early detection is the goal of the CAPS 

program. CAPS is a cooperative program that 

combines the skills and resources of PPQ with those

of State agricultural organizations and universities.

CAPS cooperators continually conduct pest surveys

throughout the United States using tools such as

traps, plant and soil sampling, sweep nets, and visual

surveys. Collected pests are identified and the information is entered into the database known as the

National Agricultural Pest Information System

(NAPIS). CAPS effectiveness can be greatly

enhanced with the support and watchful eyes of the

general public.

Factsheet

Plant Protection and Quarantine August 2003

APHIS
How the General Public Can Help Detect

New Introductions 

During your normal daily routine, be alert for 

indicators of new plant pests or weeds. Contact your

State plant health director or your State plant 

regulatory official (visit www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/maps

for locations) if you notice any of the following 

symptoms that are unusual, unexpected, or 

unexplained:

• An indication of reduced crop yields

• Signs of chlorosis (yellowing) in plants 

• Signs of stunted growth of plants

• Indications of dead and/or dying plants (usually in 

an immediate area)

• Wilting of plants

• Signs of specific plant species being damaged or 

affected adversely (i.e. all the oaks are dying but 

the maples in the same area are fine)

• Signs of severe damage to leaves and stems 

caused by feeding insects

• Dieback in tree limbs

• New or unusual plants replacing other, more 

common, plants over a wide area.

How to Prevent the Spread of Exotic Plant

Pests or Weeds

• Don’t transport wood, logs, limbs, leaves, or 

firewood from dead or dying trees out of the 

general area.

• After hiking or camping in wilderness areas, 

check equipment and clothing, including pant 

cuffs, and remove any seeds or plant material 

before returning home.

• Don’t ship or transport any host plant material or 

outdoor household articles from areas under 

State or Federal plant quarantine without checking

with your State plant health director or State 

regulatory official.

• Purchase plant material from reputable dealers to 

reduce the possibility of spreading plant pests or 

weeds.

• Don’t dig up wild plants and plant them in your 

local area.

• Check with your State plant health director or 

State regulatory official before moving crop 

harvesting or handling equipment from one State 

through or into another State.

Eradication of Exotic Pest Introductions

Once a new exotic plant pest or weed is detected

and identified, the Emergency Programs (EP) unit of

PDMP initiates actions to implement an eradication

and/or regulatory program. EP, along with members

of CAPS, begins a delimiting survey to determine the

extent of the infestation. During this time, EP, along

with Federal, State, and local cooperators, develop

eradication plans, acquire funding, determine and

evaluate available control measures, develop quarantine regulations, and consolidate resources.

Depending on the extent of the infestation and many

other factors, an eradication program can last from

several months to several years.

Additional Information 

For additional factsheets, brochures, and 

publications on detection, surveillance, and regulatory 

programs, please refer to the following Web sites:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/fsheet_faq_notice/

fs_phsafeguard.html

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/brotradd.pdf

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/brotradg.pdf

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/permits/agr_bioterrorism/

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ep/

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ep/pestdetection/

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/beekeep.pdf

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/detppest.pdf

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/jbposter.pdf

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/ppqinlan.pdf

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/ppqhomfr.pdf

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/ppqsafe.pdf

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/pub_smuggling.pdf

http://www.ceris.purdue.edu/napis/

For more information on how to protect our 

country’s agriculture and ecosystems from exotic plant

pests and weeds, contact:

USDA, APHIS, PPQ

Pest Detection and Management Programs

4700 River Road, Unit 137 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1236

Telephone (301) 734–4387 or visit the APHIS

Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination

in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national

origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to

all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative

means for communication of program information (Braille, large

print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at

(202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of

Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964

(voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and

employer.

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture