Soil, pests lurking in household goods danger to crops

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Dillon Johnston
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  During a permanent change of station from the U.K. back to the U.S., it is essential to ensure all household goods and vehicles are checked for any contaminants which may affect crops from the gaining unit's local area.

The soil in the U.K. is home to many pests not naturally found in the U.S., and when introduced can decimate the agriculture and destabilize the production of food and products.  When foreign insects are introduced into the environment, they can also take over the local population of insects and change the ecosystem of that area.

"The biggest concern we have is the Gypsy Moth, which can consume a tremendous amount of foliage," said Raymond Moss, 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron personal property inspector from Bentonville, Ark. "These little guys are hard to contain, let alone control, and they are threatening our hardwood forests in the States."

Pests come in all shapes and sizes, some small enough to live in a miniscule amount of soil.

"Another threat is from nematodes, which are tiny worms that attack root crops, citrus, bananas, etcetera," Moss said. "Their eggs can be in a small amount of soil on hiking boots, camping equipment, garden tools, and so on."

In order to decrease the chance of infestation and contamination, military members who are PCSing are advised to thoroughly clean anything that may have come in contact with soil or plants.

"When cleaning your outdoor items in preparation for your upcoming PCS back to the states, use a pressure washer to really clean the grass and soil from under your lawn mower," Moss said. "Pressure washers are fantastic and really knock out anything clinging to your patio furniture or play structures."

Diligence is key when preparing for a PCS, and making sure all goods are checked can prevent a catastrophe.  Even items which may seem harmless can be carriers of dangerous bio-material.

"Even if there is the slightest chance of importing something nasty, it is worth the effort to make sure we don't," Moss said.

For more information, visit www.eur.army.mil/opm/customs/uscustoms.htm.