What needs to be inspected by the Hawaii or US Departments of Agriculture and what doesn't - and shipping delays

I posted some of this on Facebook (it's public, you don't have to be on Facebook to read it), but I thought I might make it available to a wider audience.
I'll be trying this being away thing again next week, so if you're ordering anything that needs to go through ag inspection after today/yesterday early morning it will be delayed until next week Friday or possibly the Monday after. I can get orders out that don't need to be inspected through Sunday morning (going out Monday) and may be able to throughout (and I'll try to delete this part after I get back as well as that part of the title).

What needs to be inspected and what doesn't:

I just realized that it may not be clear what needs to be inspected and what doesn't. Obviously plant seeds need to be inspected, including Job's Tears and mgambo seeds, even if they're drilled - when going to most places, see below. I have been meaning to call the USDA whether mgambo seeds still need to be inspected if they are temporarily strung but haven't gotten around to that yet, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture guys told me that I'd have to ask the USDA - because: jewelry made with any of these seeds doesn't have to be inspected (neither does jewelry made with Job's Tears but I won't string those in the amounts that I sell by just to get around ag inspection, so please don't ask). Some seeds cannot be shipped to some states (e.g. citrus seeds cannot be shipped to Florida, though Florida is generally pretty open in what can be sent there). Orders to Puerto Rico require a phyto. This phyto is issued by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and is free but requires extra paperwork (and an extra day in most cases).

Non-propagative seeds (e.g. drilled mgambo seeds or Job's Tears) don't have to be inspected if they are staying within Hawaii. Coffee seeds cannot be shipped to destinations in Hawaii.

Orders going to Canada also don't have to be inspected here - but Canadian customs/inspection will make sure that you're not getting anything that may become invasive in Canada. As that's rather unlikely for tropical plants those seeds usually go through (I have never experienced a problem there - other than that clove seeds got frozen and didn't survive.).

Orders going to the mainland have to be inspected by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and we have an inspection place in Hilo. They are open on weekdays only, and they are closed on State Holidays.

Orders going abroad (other than to Canada) have to be inspected by the US Department of Agriculture. Their inspection place relocated not too long ago and is much easier to get to (and the new facilities are much nicer), but they are also only open on weekdays, and they are closed on Federal Holidays. Small orders going to the EU don't require phytos and I usually don't have large orders. I don't ship to countries that require phytos for any seeds or inspection by entities approved by their government (e.g. Belize or Nigeria).

Not being a certified nursery (you won't believe the paperwork required for that) I cannot ship plants out of State, but I can ship within Hawaii, or could the last time I asked. Plants still have to be inspected (think little fire ants and the like. We do have them here, and you seriously don't want them), and as they're usually bulky the postage is going to be quite a bit.

Having written this, I know it contradicts the signs you see at the post offices. What they are saying is that you can't just put it in the mail, you have to comply with the inspection regulations before you do so.

State Agriculture inspection (for domestic orders) will be closed on Thursday, June 11, 2015 for Kamehameha Day.

Yes, I'm back

I'm back, have been for over a week, and we did visit with our daughter for a few days (finally publicly admitting that we went further than Kona this time :)), but I can't really say I'm caught up yet. Getting back sick and having to do some extra work at work doesn't help :) I'm working on it ... I am planning to order more seed beads, really this time as I'm running out of some colors, slowly getting caught up on drilling mgambo seeds, but no new tiare seeds or clove tree seeds yet. And no pictures this time, but I hope to post some vacation pictures sooner or later.

Pastels for Spring: one of my bracelets is in an Etsy Treasury

'Pastels for Spring' by secondarycreations

All items are from members of the Prayers on a Wire Etsy team.

Pink Chocolate Kiss... mlpjewelrydesi... $7.25	handmade silver ros... LeapingWithFai... $50.00	Weight Watchers Cha... heavenhelpus $14.00
Chinese New Jade Cl... BeadsAndPearls $7.95	Blue/White Easter B... FreemanCraftsF... $15.00	Flower Bouquet Neck... PeaceOfGraceDe... $27.00
Rosa de Guadalupe gailgirondesig... $27.00	Real Unblemished Aq... MSMCreations $22.00	Job's Tears bra... hilobeads $15.00
Bumpsters Bumpy Lam... rosebud101 $30.00	Rose Quartz and Coi... ManifestRosari... $45.00	Fairy Dream ... Set... GlassBeadArt $17.90
Green and Pink Cath... MementoMoose $20.00	Personalized Name R... trendytraditio... $44.00	Precious Rose Child... UniqueBeads1 $12.00
Barely Pink Rose Qu... blackbunnyjewe... $99.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Storing botanical beads, revisited

Botanical beads are made from natural organic (as in plants, not necessarily "certified organic" or even "unsprayed") materials and as such are biodegradable. This will happen in most climates unless you prevent it.

That said, from my own experience, the worst experience I have had was that Job's tears stored in our storage locker were smelling a bit musty after a year. They were OK after I aired them out, and I never stored them there again.

This morning I got a phone call, a lady right here on on the Big Island made a necklace from mgambo/weleweka/velvet seeds and noticed some sand like substance. I told her to stick it in the freezer (as the freezing temperatures will kill any critters inside the beads) and my husband commented after I told him what the phone call was about "termites". Storing the beads in the freezer for a while will kill termites too. (I did not get whether she bought the beads from me or not)

Another thing I am aware of because a co-worker showed them to me (I actually have them here) is mold on weleweka seeds. I don't know how wet her earrings got, but she aired them out, here in Hilo, and that didn't prevent the mold. If you live in a humid/wet (and warm, even if only at the time, think even northern states/provinces/countries in the summer and in the southern hemisphere in what is winter here) climate and your botanical beads get wet you may want to dry them in the fridge or freezer.

Botanical beads may look like beach jewelry and if you only want to wear them while you're here/there that's fine, but they are not made to get wet. They may germinate if you get them wet enough for long enough if they're made from seeds. After all,l that's what they are.

Oahu and Big Island mgambo seeds (picture)

Admitting I took this picture several months ago, and finally illustrating the difference. The seeds I got from Oahu (on the left side of the picture) are darker and smaller. The ones from the Big Island (right side) are bigger and lighter in color.

These are also known as weleweka, Hawaiian pussy willow, Maui Mink (and of course mgambo).

A few things happened

Since the end of last week a few things happened.

- Norman got into and out of the hospital.
- I found out that my job isn't being cut (just jet?)
- 2 batches of mixed color Jobs Tears seeds sold where I donated the proceeds to the AGLF, and there's more available in my Etsy shop.
- there are more weleweka/mgambo beads available in my Etsy shop or locally
- I have not so far found time to make more lampwork beads

for the meantime, I'm pooped. However, I'll be at work in the morning and I'll be available locally to deliver beads and stuff,and to ship orders from mo online stores.

Vacation?

So well, I'm on vacation. No, we didn't leave the island. It's a good thing too. I'll be driving back to Hilo tomorrow to take care of some stuff and so I reactivated the botanical stuff in my Etsy shop that I couldn't have shipped while on vacation otherwise.

I meant to post the first incarnation of my lampwork collection necklace weeks ago but didn't get around to it yet, and I did (I am on vacation after all) manage to take that apart and put together again, with some of my own beads wire wrapped in it as spacers. It doesn't exist anymore in the same way, but here it is/was:


As I came across a pretty awful picture of my latest lampwork beads while uploading pictures, here's a picture of those too:
At least his is only an awful picture of what I otherwise consider reasonably OK (newbie) beads.

And if you absolutely have to know this, I spent an hour or so on the phone to the telescope tonight too. And I'm so glad I got the truck fixed when I did. That's what we drove over here in. I love J&J. Called in today, can take DH's car in tomorrow, that's why I'm driving back to Hilo.

So, would you call this a vacation?
(I'll be picking up some forgotten items too, but I wouldn't have driven over for them alone)

Storing botanical beads and jewelry

As somebody asked me by email whether she should store her mgambo seed and freshwater pearl necklace refrigerated, here are some tips on storing botanical jewelry:

- Botanical jewelry (i.e. jewelry that contains any kind of seeds or plant parts) should be dried
thoroughly and preferably rather soon if it gets wet. Best is to not let it get really wet in the
first place. It may look like beach jewelry, but if you want to keep it it isn't. Try to keep it dry. Plant seeds don't mind getting wet, but they are not meant to last, they are meant to germinate.

- Job's Tears will chip if gotten wet and dry too often.

- Should you develop a bug problem (I have seen that with Job's Tears once but never with mgambo/weleweka/Hawaiian pussy willow seeds or Royal Poindicana seeds, I'd dry the jewelry in the refrigerator for at least a few days and then put in the freezer for a week.

I do not have to refrigerate botanical jewelry here in Hilo where the daytime temperature is usually above 80F (26.7 C) and the relative humidity normally above 70%. I do not see problems with bugs or mold.

You can normally find these in different package sizes on my website (HiloBeads) and in my Etsy shop.