Lumber shipment with "dangerous" termites seized at Charleston Seaport

CHARLESTON, SC (WCIV) — The U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Charleston Seaport stopped a shipment of wood that had "dangerous" termites on it on May 29.

The shipment of stacks of lumber came from Cameroon, and officials with CBP found "pests crawling on the wood," according to a press release on Friday.

“This interception of these termites hitchhiking on a lumber shipment is significant,” said Richard Quinn, CBP Port Director at Charleston Seaport. “CBP agriculture specialists perform work that is critical to protecting the U.S. by preventing the introduction of harmful pests into the country.”

The shipment was originally meant to go to North Carolina, but instead, it will be sent back to Cameroon. Both the container and lumber were fumigated to kill the pests.

The USDA identified the pests as Kalotermitidae species, also known as dry wood termites which can cause significant damage to structure timbers and hardwood floors in homes.