How to eliminate mealybugs from cacti?

Image - Cactuseros.com

Cacti are plants that are generally very easy to care for. But if we live in an area where environmental humidity is low during the hottest season, it is most likely that they become very vulnerable to the attack of mealybugs.

These parasites, visible to the naked eye, can cause a lot of damage to them. Thus, it is very important that we know how to eliminate mealybugs from cacti, both with ecological and chemical remedies.

What are mealybugs?

Mealybugs, also known as coccids, shells, scales, shells, piglets or shells, are some very small insects that have a protective shield of different colors and consistencies, depending on which species it belongs to.

They are one of the most common pests in plants and, above all, in cacti that are not receiving all the care they need. When noticing them weak, they immediately adhere to them and begin to feed on the sap, part of which many of them will excrete as a sugary liquid (molasses) that attracts the black fungus and aphids.

There may be more than one generation a year. First, the egg hatches, a larva emerging from it; it becomes an adult and lays eggs, thus repeating the cycle until temperatures are too low.

Types of mealybugs that most affect cacti

There are above all two that we can see a lot in temperate regions. Are:

Cottony mealybug

Called cotonet in Catalan and botanically known as Pseudococcus, It measures no more than 1cm and has a cottony texture. It can be seen in the areolas but also between the ribs of the cactus.

Cottony root mealybug

Image - Forestryimages.org

Known by the scientific name Rhizoecus sp, they are mealybugs that parasitize the roots. The only way to detect them is by extracting the plant from the pot or from the ground to see how its root system is doing.

California louse

Image - nbair.res.in

Or California red louse. Its scientific name is Aonidiella aurantii. They are more or less rounded in shape, with a dark reddish-brown coat of arms.

What are the symptoms and damage they produce?

We can know if our cactus has a plague of mealybugs if:

We see the insects themselves.
Discolored spots appear.
Due to the presence of the Negrilla fungus.

The damages they produce are deformations on the body of the cactus from bites. Unfortunately, if the damage is severe, the plant will not regain its normal state.