Kayla Humphrey of Slippery Rock recently received this package of seeds in the mail, which she didn't order.

You reap what you sow and the government is warning people against sowing seeds that are arriving by mail unsolicited.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and state agriculture officials have issued warnings about unsolicited shipments of foreign seeds arriving at people's doorsteps. Kayla Humphrey, 38, of Slippery Rock was one of those people.

She said she received “a teeny tiny package with Chinese writing” about two months ago. She also observed markings on the box that said “grass stud earrings,” but makes no mention of seeds.

On the inside, she found three packages containing seeds. Since getting the delivery, Humphrey sealed the seeds in a box and she told the state's agriculture department about the mystery delivery.

On Monday, the USDA said in a prepared statement that it was “aware that people across the country have received suspicious, unsolicited packages of seed that appear to be coming from China.”

The department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services is working with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal and state agencies to investigate the matter.

Officials advise recipients to keep the seeds and packaging, including the mailing label, until someone from their state contacts them with further instructions. They also advise people not to plant the seeds.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture identified 14 species of seeds — from mustard and morning glory to cabbage, rosemary and roses — in some of the packages that were received similar to Humphrey's. As of Tuesday, there was no indication the seeds carry pests or diseases, according to the USDA.

But Humphrey isn't taking a chance.

She pointed out that she has a green thumb and in March she said she ordered several flower seeds from Amazon.

“I thought maybe this is them,” Humphrey said.

But she said she knew almost immediately the seeds weren't for the flowers she ordered because of the strange packaging marks. She also noticed that her Amazon delivery status was still pending.

“At this time, we don't have any evidence indicating this is something other than a 'brushing scam,' where people receive unsolicited items from a seller, who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales,” the federal agriculture department wrote.

Humphrey didn't need to be told to be wary of the package.

“Even before all this pandemic stuff, we tried not to buy things from China and now we're extra cautious,” Humphrey said.