Mysterious seed packets have made their way to residents of all 50 states, including in Door and Kewaunee Counties. Penne Wilson, from the Door County Seed Library, says the explanation may prove to be a simple scam. She believes that Chinese businesses are engaged in a practice known as brushing. A seller places a fake order for a high-value item such as jewelry or furniture and ships out nothing, or at most something far less significant, like seeds, which they register as a sale. If it goes unnoticed, the seller has padded their total, and they will appear higher up in subsequent searches on e-commerce sites such as Amazon. Wilson says to be careful when trying to dispose of the unwanted seeds.

There have been no reports of health risks or hazards to humans from the packets.