I've noticed some strange white bugs on my cactus. Does anyone know how should I treat it and cure it? How serious is this? Should I replant the cactus? Thank you in advance.
Are those white bugs attacking my cactus?!
Are those white bugs attacking my cactus?!
Hello everybody,
I've noticed some strange white bugs on my cactus. Does anyone know how should I treat it and cure it? How serious is this? Should I replant the cactus? Thank you in advance.
I've noticed some strange white bugs on my cactus. Does anyone know how should I treat it and cure it? How serious is this? Should I replant the cactus? Thank you in advance.
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Re: Are those white bugs attacking my cactus?!
My short answer is: yes.
What you do have on your plant are the dreaded mealybugs. You can try to pick them off with a q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol. That would at least reduce the number of adults. However, these insects do produce large, white egg masses, which are protected by a waxy layer on top. Many freshly hatched nymphs, called crawlers, will emerge from them and begin to spread over your plant and others nearby.
Fighting these insects is very difficult, because they tend to hide in small cracks on the stem and also on the areoles underneath the spines.
The best way to combat them is by using a systemic insecticide. There are several on the market. One of the active ingredients is called imidacloprid, but others - most likely equally effective - can be purchased. All you need to do is to apply the systemic insecticide with the watering. The root of your plant will pick up the pesticide and translocate it throughout the whole plant. Unless they have become resistant to it, the mealybug will be killed, when it feeds on your cactus.
It may be a good idea, to separate your infested plant from all other plants. I would keep the quarantine going until I were certain, that the mealybugs have all been killed.
You can read more about the pest and how to take care of an infestation by looking at the tab named "Pests and Disease" on top of the homepage of this site.
Harald
What you do have on your plant are the dreaded mealybugs. You can try to pick them off with a q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol. That would at least reduce the number of adults. However, these insects do produce large, white egg masses, which are protected by a waxy layer on top. Many freshly hatched nymphs, called crawlers, will emerge from them and begin to spread over your plant and others nearby.
Fighting these insects is very difficult, because they tend to hide in small cracks on the stem and also on the areoles underneath the spines.
The best way to combat them is by using a systemic insecticide. There are several on the market. One of the active ingredients is called imidacloprid, but others - most likely equally effective - can be purchased. All you need to do is to apply the systemic insecticide with the watering. The root of your plant will pick up the pesticide and translocate it throughout the whole plant. Unless they have become resistant to it, the mealybug will be killed, when it feeds on your cactus.
It may be a good idea, to separate your infested plant from all other plants. I would keep the quarantine going until I were certain, that the mealybugs have all been killed.
You can read more about the pest and how to take care of an infestation by looking at the tab named "Pests and Disease" on top of the homepage of this site.
Harald
Re: Are those white bugs attacking my cactus?!
Thank you very much on such a long response, I will try my best!