Don't pack a pest, the holiday gift nobody wants

SAN DIEGO COUNTY – It’s the holiday season – time for traveling and exchanging gifts! But there are some gifts nobody wants, like things that could wreck agricultural crops, force quarantines and hurt the environment. So, residents need to remember to not pack a pest in their luggage.

It’s easier to do than one would think. In today’s era of high-speed travel, someone can accidentally carry a hitchhiking invasive pest or virus on all kinds of plant and animal-related items – maybe on that keepsake branch from Aunt Jenny’s holiday wreath, those bulbs from Florida, ornamental c...