I got Mealy's, Weeeeeeeeeeeee
Hmmmm....interesting thread!
I've been dealing with mealies myself for the past few years.
By the way, mealies CAN kill a cactus given enough time!
I lost 2 cacti a few years ago because I didn't catch them soon enough.
The lesson learnt was that I have to be regularly vigilant through a routine which allows me to go over all the cacti, not leaving one plant more than a week without a checkup.
Some are quite resistant while some are particularly vulnerable.
Up here in Quebec, we are not allowed to use the insecticides which have been enumerated in this thread.
We have "biological" insecticides and that's it!
So that means that I need some elbow grease, water at times, plenty of patience and my trusty "dentist's" metal pick to get into those hard to get places!!
I've had success in all cases since my first losses a few years back.
However, the winter months are long since electric baseboards create an atmosphere which is dry and warm enough for the mealies...
Patrick