Need help - Mealybug(?) & Broken Sprout

Trouble shoot problems you are having with your cactus.
signal
Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:21 pm
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia (USA)

Need help - Mealybug(?) & Broken Sprout

Post by signal »

This was my first cactus I got several years ago. It had 3 main shoots and many sprouts. I had no idea what I was doing, so I over-watered and and killed 2 of the main shoots, leaving 1 main shoot with a sprout, plus another sprout on the base. Plus, somehow, one of the sprouts off of a dead part is still alive.
Of course I learned better, and now have many more cacti. This one has been doing fine up until now...

Problem #1: Mealybug

I noticed today that it was growing a brown mushy spot... which is never good. It's got white fuzzy stuff on it so I'm assuming mealybugs.
I've lost 3 mini cacti to mealybugs a while ago, but they had all come from the same place so I thought it was just on them. But all of a sudden this happens.
It doesn't seem like the bugs haven't spread too much, so is there anything I can do? Do I need to amputate?
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Problem #2: Broken sprout

I mentioned, this sprout survived despite living on a dead shoot. I left the dead shoot sitting in the dirt to see if anything would happen, but nothing did for at least a year. I pulled it off today and the connection had been healed over. It is still alive and I don't know what to do. Is there any possibility of it growing roots, even with it's size? It's about 1/2" wide.
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KittieKAT
Posts: 1246
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 6:49 pm

Re: Need help - Mealybug(?) & Broken Sprout

Post by KittieKAT »

The pup should be fine you should stick ot in some soil and leave it be for it to eventually grow roots on its own.
The originally stock is fine, Thoe u should cut off the bottom part let it dry for a few days after swiping the cut end with sulfur powder and stuck it in some soil to grow roots in a few months or so . I would suggest for mealy bugs dip a qtip in some rubbing alcohol and dap it on all the fuzzy mealy bugs and nests you see and they will die.
When cutting the stock like i mentioned make sure you use rubbing alcohol to sterilize the knife before cutting and cut swiftly and straight until u see fresh healthy green tissue then leave the stock in a dry in direct lit spot.
Others will chime in to help soon.
Goodluck
KittieKAT
Posts: 1246
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 6:49 pm

Re: Need help - Mealybug(?) & Broken Sprout

Post by KittieKAT »

Also you need to repot them in a mix of sifted ( thru a grate or a small plastic pots drainage holes, to get rid of heavy material like sticks) cacti and succulent mix and perlite 50:50 equal parts of each. And use a pot with drainage holes in it and adjust yr cacti to stronger and stronger light over a week or two So they can adjust without getting burned.
signal
Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:21 pm
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia (USA)

Re: Need help - Mealybug(?) & Broken Sprout

Post by signal »

Thanks, I'll try to kill the mealy bugs with alcohol. What about the damage they've done? Wont it spread even with them gone?

About the broken sprout, yeah I'll just put it in the dirt and hope for the best. I'm just doubtful it'll grow roots because it's so tiny.

For the shoot and sprout that are attached to the dead base, their roots are still alive. It's been like that for a year or 2 and they've been fine. Though it's not very pretty, I'd rather not put them through any more stress so I'll leave them where they are.
signal
Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:21 pm
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia (USA)

Re: Need help - Mealybug(?) & Broken Sprout

Post by signal »

The spikes are pretty thick. The exposed patch is just where they broke off, but there are some mealBugs under the still-attached spikes. How do I kill the bugs there? Will I have to break off the spikes?
KittieKAT
Posts: 1246
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 6:49 pm

Re: Need help - Mealybug(?) & Broken Sprout

Post by KittieKAT »

No just spray the cacti with rubbing aalcohal diluted with sum water. Or use a qtip and try and touch it to the spines the mealys will turn brown when dead ans the white coating on their bodies will disintegrate showing just a brown tiny bug. The damage they caused may be irreversible but only time will tell.

The pup will grow roots juat sont water it till u see some roots, use some rooting powder and dap it on the bottom piece before putting it in the soil, ive rooted smaller pups but it takes a while so have patience!

And even thoe the cacti woth the dead bottom stock has roots they are prob dead, i would suggest cutting it like i said in previous response, so it can thrive or it will prob die soon.
KittieKAT
Posts: 1246
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 6:49 pm

Re: Need help - Mealybug(?) & Broken Sprout

Post by KittieKAT »

Spines don't usuallygrow back so don't pull them off, ive noticed you have ALOT of spines ontop of yr soil that im assuming u pulled off trying to kill the bugs. Don't worry about how dense the spines are, just dip a qtip in rubbing alcohal and dap it on the mealys or on the spines above where they are.
signal
Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:21 pm
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia (USA)

Re: Need help - Mealybug(?) & Broken Sprout

Post by signal »

KittieKAT wrote:Spines don't usuallygrow back so don't pull them off, ive noticed you have ALOT of spines ontop of yr soil that im assuming u pulled off trying to kill the bugs. Don't worry about how dense the spines are, just dip a qtip in rubbing alcohal and dap it on the mealys or on the spines above where they are.
I didn't, they fell off.
KittieKAT
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Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 6:49 pm

Re: Need help - Mealybug(?) & Broken Sprout

Post by KittieKAT »

I'm just saying they don't grow back so don't pull them off to get to the mealy bugs Like u asked if you should do in yr post above.
signal
Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:21 pm
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia (USA)

Re: Need help - Mealybug(?) & Broken Sprout

Post by signal »

I've sprayed them with rubbing alcohol several times, diluting with water less each time, and it hasn't seemed to help… is there anything more I can do? There's some under the spikes I can't reach with a qtip
iann
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Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2006 11:10 pm
Location: England

Re: Need help - Mealybug(?) & Broken Sprout

Post by iann »

I still haven't seen a 100% guaranteed mealie. If you're spraying and poking at natural fluffy parts of the plant then you'll just make things worse. Also, dead mealies look a lot like live mealies, so even if you see them you might already have killed them.
--ian
KittieKAT
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Re: Need help - Mealybug(?) & Broken Sprout

Post by KittieKAT »

Can u post a picture if the mealies, cause they may be dead already
Or your thinking the fluffy aerials and tufts of the cactus are mealies and they aren't
signal
Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:21 pm
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia (USA)

Re: Need help - Mealybug(?) & Broken Sprout

Post by signal »

No, they haven't changed. My phone doesn't show the detail well but you can see between the spike bumps, there is white stuff surrounded by brown.
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iann
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Re: Need help - Mealybug(?) & Broken Sprout

Post by iann »

I still can't ID any mealies in the photo, but it does look like it has been attacked by some pest or other.
--ian
KittieKAT
Posts: 1246
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 6:49 pm

Re: Need help - Mealybug(?) & Broken Sprout

Post by KittieKAT »

Same here ian, i think u are assuming the naturally fluffy aerials of the cacti are mealys, if they were indeed mealies they would turn a brown color when alcohal is touched to there furry looking covered bodies/nests
And they are pretty easy to remove from the plant after you do that
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