U.S. Customs and Border Protection agricultural specialists inspect imported cut flowers near LAX, ahead of the Mother's Day holiday

Redondo Beach, CA - May 10: United States Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists inspect imported roses at Gourmet Trading, in Redondo Beach, CA, ahead of the Mother's Day holiday, Wednesday, May 10, 2023. The CBP inspectors are looking for hitchhiking pests and diseases amongst the flowers, with the majority of imported stems coming from Ecuador, Colombia, Netherlands, Thailand and Australia. According to the CBP, LAX ranks second, behind Miami, as busiest port of entry for stems, with over 36 million arriving in Los Angeles. During his peak Mother's Day holiday period of stem importation, CBP agricultural specialists have intercepted over 300 pets in cut flowers, with over 100 of those being "actionable," which means treatment, returning to shippers or destruction. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)