Pest infestation delays half of tree shipments

By Marcie Kagawa

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 24, 2012

~~<p>State officials said Friday that about half the container shipments of mainland Christmas trees had been held up because they are "widely infested" with non-native pests including banana slugs, which can carry the rat lungworm parasite.</p>
<p>Shipments of Christmas trees from the Pacific Northwest are being held for treatment by the Plant Quarantine Branch of the state Department of Agriculture, officials said.</p>
~~

State officials said Friday that about half the container shipments of mainland Christmas trees had been held up because they are "widely infested" with non-native pests including banana slugs, which can carry the rat lungworm parasite.

Shipments of Christmas trees from the Pacific Northwest are being held for treatment by the Plant Quarantine Branch of the state Department of Agriculture, officials said. Login for more...