Holiday plants and fruits can carry more than cheer; don't be surprised to see inspection stickers on packages

The Holidays are the time to spread good cheer --- not invasive pests! Help the County Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures protect our region from agricultural loss by calling 760-752-4713 if you receive shipped plants or fruit that do not appear to have been inspected.

Agriculture, Weights and Measures staff, including its “detector dogs” Friday and Drake, regularly inspect parcel facilities to sniff out packages that contain plant material to make sure they’re not carrying hitchhikers: invasive pests that can damage local agriculture and ecology. However, with the increased holid...