What are these, and how can I get rid of them?

Trouble shoot problems you are having with your cactus.
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abohm
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What are these, and how can I get rid of them?

Post by abohm »

I've been seeing these weird, white bug-type things plaguing one of my succulents for a while now and finally thought it was time to learn what they are and try to do something about it. They're white and fuzzy and seem to be cocooning themselves all over this guy. I've tried poking at them to see what they do, and they move very slowly if at all. At first I didn't even think they were alive at all, and that maybe they were a mold of some sort, but they are definitely little bugs. So what are they, and how does one go about getting rid of them? If you click the photo you can get a closer view of one of them, to the left of my finger. The rest of the white specks are the fuzzy coccoon-type things.
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majcka
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Re: What are these, and how can I get rid of them?

Post by majcka »

Bljak.

I don't know what exactly is their scientific name, but in translation from my language it would be something like White Wooly bugs....or something like that (maybe melly bugs)

You can softly smash them with toothpick and them spray with an alcohol. Another thing is to spray them with soap water and smash them. In each situation I would water suculents with an insecticide. Good luck.
Maja

Strange is fun, cacti are funnier!
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Aiko
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Re: What are these, and how can I get rid of them?

Post by Aiko »

majcka wrote:White Wooly bugs....or something like that (maybe melly bugs)
Close: mealy bugs.
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CactusMad
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Re: What are these, and how can I get rid of them?

Post by CactusMad »

Yeah mealy bugs and quite a few by the look of it.I would spray it with a systemic pesticide if it was mine.

:)
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greenknight
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Re: What are these, and how can I get rid of them?

Post by greenknight »

Alcohol or soap sprays can work, but you have to repeat the treatment every couple weeks for a while to get the ones that hatch from eggs that are left behind. Systemics have a long residual effect, so one treatment will do it.

With either, you should also clean up the area around the plant - while the adults don't move, the tiny (nearly invisible) young ones crawl around searching for new host plants. If any other plants near the infested one should also be treated as a precaution.
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