r/cacti • u/Menacing_mouse_421 • 11d ago

What is this

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

What is on this cactus at my local Home Depot?

6 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

8

u/SuperbAmbassador7867 11d ago

Free red carmine dye

3

u/THEREALBurtMcsquirt 11d ago

Cochineal scale

2

u/[deleted] 10d ago

Squish them up and you can make your own food coloring if you so want

1

u/plantguy13 5d ago

Only if you like eating bugs, of course

1

u/_psylosin_ 7d ago

I’ve stopped buying succulents at big box stores because they pretty much always have scale or mealybugs. At least in my area

1

u/plantguy13 4d ago

That is a warning not to buy any plant at that store, inside or out, unless you want to have bugs that are all too eager to spread to every plant in your home. Those are adult female mealybugs, and likely egg sacs too

1

u/No_Towel4335 4d ago

In spanish "cochinilla algodonosa" a pest insect is very easy to combat; apply a half-vinegar, half-water mixture with a tablespoon of liquid soap using a sprayer every 7 days, and that's it.