Mammillaria senilis small red points at base..spider mites?

[MadridPeter]

Hi all! I bought a senilis and noticed red points at the base of stem but no other abnormality ..plant is small and stem green with plenty of spines ..the marks on the base are only sign that I see...anybody got a tip? This plant spent plenty of time surrounded by other small cacti so surely all surrounding would get infested too and this shop never sold me any infected plants..I read on this sites pest/infection section that red spots at the base can be signs that the plant survived an infestation in the past as the pests attack growth at top and as the plant grows the damage goes further down the plant ..bit like rings in the timber of a tree..should I take action?

[iann]

It could be mite damage but I really can't tell for sure. M. senilis isn't particularly prone to mites, but they can potentially attack anything. Get a magnifier and check to see if there are any mites still on the plant. Mites at the base of the plant would be flat mites, very small, almost the same colour as terracotta plastic pots. You'll need a 10x lens for reliable ID. Or a better camera

Spider mites attack the top of plants. Your pictures almost certainly don't show spider mite damage. Adult spider mites are easily visible to the naked eye and they produce webbing.

If there are no pests visible on the plant now then you could be safe, but keep an eye out for any sign of further damage.

[MadridPeter]

I have been watching and examining and have seen no creatures or spread of unexplained damage or red points ..think I was being paranoid

[greenknight]

Scars on many cacti turn orange, that's what it looks like. Red spider mites are not really very red.

[MadridPeter]

Thank Knight I didn't know that about scars!! ..I am only 2 years a cactus fan and in the last 4 months have got seriously into collecting cactus varieties although rebutia and echinopsis are my favourites so far...indoor plants on a 3rd floor probably have little chance of having pest infestation