The substance that appears to be cotton fibers is actually a fine wax made by adult cochineal scale insects, and the little black specks may be their nymphs. On cholla (Cylindropuntia spp.) and prickly pear (Opuntia spp.) cactus, it is typical in this region. The white beards that resemble those on other cacti, such as the Peruvian old man (Espostoa lanata) and Peruvian old woman (Espostoa melanostele), are not an insect byproduct but rather typical, healthy changed tissues. Landscape chollas and prickly pears have a white waxy coating produced by cochineal scale that helps shield these actual bugs from predators and insecticides.
I’ve seen prickly pear pads covered in that white fluff almost entirely. Mild infestations, like the ones Doa Ana County Extension Master Gardener Dael Goodman and I saw at in Las Cruces earlier new week, are more typical. In New Mexico, there are multiple native cholla and prickly pear species. There are numerous of them in the Goodmans’ front yard, and we immediately noted that some species were more affected by the cochineal scale than others.
Topical pesticides, especially natural ones like petroleum oils and insecticidal soaps, are unlikely to be effective no matter what time of year it is if the insects are shielded by a white covering. Also, keep in mind that the ultimate goal isn’t to completely eradicate cochineal scale from your garden—partially that’s impossible—but rather to control the populations of insect pests until beneficial insects come to the rescue.
You will be shocked to see a bright red liquid that seems to appear out of nowhere if you squeeze a glob of the white goo that has healthy females hidden inside. Carmine, a natural dye used for millennia to color textiles and create artwork, is produced inside the bodies of cochineal scale insects. Because this carmine component is also utilized in red foods and cosmetics like sausages, lipstick, pie fillings, and vividly colored alcoholic beverages, check product labels for it. Before the firm converted to an artificial dye in 2006, it was used to create the vibrant color of Campari liquor, but a new generation of craft distillers and other producers are increasingly adopting it as a substitute for synthetic red components.
Goodman and I attempted to film the flowing red fluids squeezing the white tufts on her prickly pear pads with a small stick, but we hardly noticed any redness. The female cochineal population may be declining at this time of year, or those specific tufts may be so old that the residents have long since disappeared and have only left that waxy material behind. We’ll give it another go with a fresher sample in the summer.
Six cholla species and seven prickly pear species are covered in Robert DeWitt Ivey’s stunning reference work Flowering Plants of New Mexico. There are five yellow-flowered prickly pears in that group. Identification might be aided by paying close attention to the pad sizes and spine specifics. If you intend to approach closely, make preparations and carry tongs.
At the Agricultural Science Center in Los Lunas, Marisa Thompson, PhD, is the Extension Horticulture Specialist for New Mexico State University.
How do I remove the white substance from my cactus?
White fuzz on cactus can hinder their growth and lessen their visual attractiveness. What then creates the white fuzz on cacti, and how may mealybugs be removed from cactus plants?
Pour rubbing alcohol into a garden spray bottle after combining water and rubbing alcohol in a 1:3 ratio. To get rid of the bugs, spray all the cactus that are covered with white fuzz. You might also add ladybugs to your cactus to eat the mealybugs and get rid of the white fuzz on the plants.
I’ve used the Bazos ladybugs on my plants, and they work incredibly well at organically removing mealybugs and other damaging pests like aphids. You can use them if you don’t want to use pesticides on your indoor plants and outdoor gardens.
Why is my cactus covered in white material?
White spots on cacti are typically brought on by an insect infestation. Mealybug or scale shields can be seen as the white patches. White spots on cacti can also be caused by fungus development brought on by necrotic spot virus or powdery mildew. Treat white spots as soon as you notice them and have determined their cause because, frequently, yellowing and aberrant foliage appear after white spots appear.
What is the white cotton-like substance on cacti?
All of us enjoy the colors found in nature, especially at this time of year, but none are as brilliant as red.”
Red has always been a popular hue in societies because it is associated with risk and bravery, revolution and conflict, violence and sin, desire and passion. (1) When Spanish conquistadors discovered the Aztecs selling an exceptional red dye in the major markets of Mexico in 1519, no red dye was as vivid. They referred to it as cochineal or grana cochinilla.
“When Cortes arrived, he was astounded to see Montezuma and other lords wearing bright, vivid red robes. The fact that the hands and breasts of the native women were painted the same vibrant hue astounded him as well. He discovered bundles of dried cochineal brought to Montezuma in Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City), which were swiftly conveyed back to Spain. The dye was so much more vivid than the others and became very popular in Europe. By 1600, silver was the most expensive import from Mexico, followed by cochineal. (2)
The Opuntia engelmanii, or prickly pear cactus, is home to the scale insect known as cochineal. It eats the cactus’ delicious juices as a rasping, sucking insect. To ward off predators, it creates a cottony white covering. The insect is removed from the cactus, dried, and dehydrated before being exported all over the world to be used in a variety of ways. Cosmetics, food coloring, artist’s paint, and textile dyes (such as wool) all use dried cochineal. Today, it is frequently utilized as a red colour in dietary beverages. Cochineal’s most well-known application was to colour the jackets of the British troops “During the Revolutionary War, redcoats.
Live cochineal are displayed to children in the City of San Antonio Natural Areas Education Classes on the cactus, and dried cochineal is used to paint on rocks, paper, and wool fibers. While dried cochineal is still available today, synthetic colors with longer shelf lives have mostly taken its place.
The scientific study of the interactions between people and plants is known as ethnobotany. Cochineal is a fantastic technique to demonstrate to students how plants and insects were used by Native Americans and early settlers in Texas. They discover the history of this insect as well as its link to and relationship with nature. The pupils enjoy reading the ingredients list on their preferred red food product and seeing the name of cochineal extract (labeled as carminic acid) “use Sobe Life Water, a bug juice.
On my cactus, how do I get rid of mealybugs?
Mealybugs can be readily removed if you catch them early, before they have a chance to multiply.
Scrape the mealy insect off your cactus by using a q-tip in rubbing alcohol that is 70 percent strength.
To be sure, examine the plant from top to bottom. For a few more days, check the plant daily to make sure no new pests have arrived.
For each mealybug, use a different side of the q-tip because you don’t want to distribute them more than required.
You will need to spray your plant if the mealybugs are more numerous and cannot be removed one by one.
Before you can totally get rid of these pests, you will need to repeat treatment multiple times to destroy them in all stages.
Using a Homemade Dish Soap Spray
Making your own homemade mealybug spray from things you probably already have on hand is another option.
Neem oil, if you can find it, should be added to the combination for a far better success rate.
Your plant will receive a layer of protection from neem oil, making it more difficult for insects to eat through it.
With Blue Dawn dish soap and a 2 percent soap to water ratio, I’ve had the most results.
For instance, my spray bottle holds 650ml (or 20 oz), so I added 13ml (or half an ounce) of dish soap before adding water to cover the remaining space.
Use distilled or bottled water to prevent mealybugs from benefiting from the minerals in your tap water.
You want to make sure you get every area of your cactus since these small creatures can hide in crevices and crannies. Spray this mixture immediately on the surface of your cactus.
If there are still some bugs present, repeat the process again in a few days. To remove any remaining soap, spritz the cactus with distilled water after the bugs have all disappeared but don’t use any soap this time.
Avoid using too much soapy water because dish soap is still a detergent and might harm your houseplant if used excessively.
Use 70% Isopropyl Alcohol
The best method for getting rid of mealybugs on your cactus is typically to kill them using isopropyl alcohol.
Spray every bug and white fuzz spot you notice with 70% isopropyl alcohol (often referred to as rubbing alcohol) with a spray bottle.
Avoid using alcohol that is 90% strength since it will flash off too rapidly and not be as effective.
And if you opt for this strategy, be careful to keep your plant away from hot or direct sunlight to prevent burning. Spray ideally in the morning or at night.
The mealybugs are almost instantly killed by the isopropyl alcohol, which almost dries them up on touch. This will only work if you spray every single bug you see, just as the soap water method.
However, be careful with the alcohol; too much of it can harm the plant.
It might be better to dip a q-tip in the isopropyl alcohol and kill the mealybugs one at a time if you have caught them early and are certain that there are only a few bugs.
Nowadays, it can be challenging to get isopropyl alcohol, so if you can’t, try the dish soap and neem oil method first.
As there are probably other components in hand sanitizer that could be detrimental to your plant, I wouldn’t advise using it to get rid of mealybugs.
Systemic Insecticide Spray
Finally, you can buy systemic pesticide (bonide granules) at your neighborhood garden center or greenhouse to eradicate mealybugs from the inside out. Mealybugs become poisoned by the fluids.
In essence, you’ll water your cactus while using the pesticide, which works more like an antibiotic than a topical application like the other two techniques.
I advise applying a spray (either the soap mixture or rubbing alcohol) together with the systemic pesticide to get rid of mealybugs permanently.
This is because mealybugs may still be present in your soil, making it preferable to attack them from all sides.
Ideally, repot your plant in fresh soil if you can to ensure that no bugs or eggs are still present.
Other Methods That Might Get Rid of Mealybugs
You might try taking the natural approach and introducing other bugs that will devour the mealybugs if you have mealy bugs on your outdoor cacti.
Ladybugs will devour them, and mealybugs and aphids are both consumed by the larvae of the Green Lacewing.
To eliminate bugs, larvae, and other pathogens, some people bake their soil in the oven.
You can sterilize a small amount of soil by putting it on a baking sheet and roasting it in the oven for roughly 45 minutes at 175200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Is cactus milk toxic?
The toxic African milk tree, also known as Euphorbia trigona, is a succulent that many people mistake for a cactus. When this euphorbia plant is cut, a deadly sap is released.
If this sap gets on the skin or in the eyes, it can be quite irritating. You should therefore put on the appropriate safety gear while propagating. These contain a set of rubber hand gloves, long-sleeved overalls, and protective eyewear.
The African milk tree releases a huge amount of toxic sap when cut, making it extremely poisonous. If the sap unintentionally contacts your skin, wipe the area thoroughly with water right away. This will lessen irritability.
How frequently do cacti need to be watered?
The most frequent reason for cacti failure is improper watering, whether it is done too much or too little. Cacti have evolved to store water for extended periods of time and can maintain moisture through droughts because they are endemic to arid regions and dry temperatures. They have a limited capacity, which is why over-watering can result in a variety of issues.
When it comes to regularity, watering your cacti will largely depend on the season but also on the variety. Checking the soil is the easiest technique to determine whether your cactus needs water: It’s time for a drink if the top inch is dry. That entails applying the “soak and dry procedure” on cactus.
What is the soak and dry method?
The soak and dry technique is thoroughly wetting the soil until part of it begins to flow out the drainage hole, then waiting until the mixture is nearly dry before wetting it once more. If done properly, this strategy will help them endure a period of under-watering should you need to travel or leave the house because it takes use of their natural tendency to store water (or if you just get busy and watering falls to the wayside, as happens to all of us now and again).
Watering during the growing season versus the inactive season
Like with many houseplants, the season affects how frequently you need water. It becomes more crucial that you get in the habit of examining the soil to determine whether your cacti are thirsty. A healthy cactus needs watering every one to two weeks during the growing season, according to general wisdom. The frequency changes to once every three to four weeks during the off-season.
Even then, it’s crucial to examine the soil. The same way that not all interior spaces and not all cacti are alike. The only way to be certain that your cactus require watering is to carefully examine the soil to determine how dry it is because there are so many different factors.