Cochineal treatments?

[tumamoc]

I've got a Cylindropuntia arbuscola, in the ground, that has been under attack by cochineal bugs for a couple of months now. I tried spraying the webs off on several occasions with a high pressure water spray, but the water blasts tend to detach segments of the plant and don't even seem to get rid of the mealies.

Is there another treatment? Sevin Dust or somehting like that? I had another plant last year, same species, that also got attaked (I got rid of it). Strangely, no other Cylindros or Opuntias have been affected.

I can post a picture if it will help.

[daiv]

Well as I understand it, the cochineal insects are different that mealy bugs. Before I knew what they were, I called the infestation "the plague". They do seem to really prefer the areoles of Opuntiads. Has anyone seen them on anything else?

On a fragile species, such as arbuscula, mechanical methods are indeed impractical. You would probably be best off watering with a systemic insecticide. This will of course only work if the plant is growing and will take some time, but will eventually rid your plants of the pests. If you use a topical, you will really have to drench the plants to penetrate the sticky white stuff and then you are almost certainly going to burn your plants.

[Buck Hemenway]

Tumamoc,

I think that the Bayer products that are sysemic sucking bug killers such as aphids, mealybugs etc will work. I tried the Tree and Shrub on some very large, very old Opuntias with limited success, but smaller plants should respond well. Bayer doesn't test any succulents, so the amount needed is a best guess, but it should be effective, particularly now while the plant is growing.

[daiv]

I tried the Tree and Shrub on some very large, very old Opuntias with limited success, but smaller plants should respond well.

Buck, that must have been at Jarupa? Interesting feedback. It sounds like you did see some results? Seems like in a public place like that all you have to do is tell tour groups about the purple pigment and let them all see for themselves. Of course if you post signs saying "Don't Squish these Bugs", you'd probably erradicate them even faster.

[ihc6480]

Of course if you post signs saying "Don't Squish these Bugs", you'd probably erradicate them even faster.

And you would know who did it