Customs officials check more than 1B flower shipments prior to Valentine's Day

Feb. 14 (UPI) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said Wednesday the agency has inspected more than 1 billion cut flower shipments since Jan. 1.

CBP officials check cut flowers for pests and diseases that could harm U.S. agricultural and floral industries.

"Increased shipments of flowers make this a very busy time for CBP, but our agriculture specialists are ready and able to meet this demand while safeguarding our nation against agricultural threats," acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller said in a Valentine's Day statement.

Through Tuesday, the CBP found 1,830 flowers containing pests and insects, including 877 potentially harmful ones that potentially could have spread disease in the United States.

A small number of pests capable of causing harm are found among the millions of flower stems inspected each year, according to the CBP, which said that just one harmful pest could lead to millions of dollars in damages.

Last year, the CBP said it inspected more than 352 million flower bouquets, 76 million roses, and 75 million chrysanthemums.

The three top U.S. ports of entry for cut flowers are New York City, Miami and Otay Mesa, Calif., according to the CBP.

Online visitors can access the CBP regulations for importing agricultural products, including cut flowers, into the United States.