- Joined
- Aug 16, 2002
- Messages
- 2,929
The USDA APHIS division enforces things that may be a threat to agriculture, they wouldn't regulate animals that are a direct threat to people. By definition, they are concerned with plants. The USFWS could proably go after dangerous animals, but generally let the states and localities handle that.
Enforcement is not the same for all animals covered by the "potential plant pest" description.
As far as I know, the USDA has not "gone after" private individuals with millipedes, or even pet shops. They seem primarily concerned with blocking imports when they come in. Perhaps PetCo has a big stockpile of the things already here that is taking awhile to be exhausted. Mantids are he same deal, but have dissapeared from the trade faster because they don't live as long and are more difficult to keep. There still seems to be people selling captive bred mantids openly.
Exotic phasmids are another mater. They will actually come to your house if they find out you have them.
Pretty much all exotic cockroaches (with the exception recently added to the exception list hisser) fall under the "pest" definition as well, but there does no appear to be any enforcement on them at all.
The USDA has not indicated how they will deal with captive bred millipedes and mantids at present.
Wade
Enforcement is not the same for all animals covered by the "potential plant pest" description.
As far as I know, the USDA has not "gone after" private individuals with millipedes, or even pet shops. They seem primarily concerned with blocking imports when they come in. Perhaps PetCo has a big stockpile of the things already here that is taking awhile to be exhausted. Mantids are he same deal, but have dissapeared from the trade faster because they don't live as long and are more difficult to keep. There still seems to be people selling captive bred mantids openly.
Exotic phasmids are another mater. They will actually come to your house if they find out you have them.
Pretty much all exotic cockroaches (with the exception recently added to the exception list hisser) fall under the "pest" definition as well, but there does no appear to be any enforcement on them at all.
The USDA has not indicated how they will deal with captive bred millipedes and mantids at present.
Wade
