# WHITE WEB ON CACTUS



## ALDABRAMAN (Aug 9, 2014)

*Anyone know what causes this white web substance on cactus? I generally take the hose and wash it all off, sometimes there is a purple die colored substance inside!*

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## mike taylor (Aug 9, 2014)

I have no idea . My cactus does the same thing . I wash it off then wammo it's back .


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## ALDABRAMAN (Aug 9, 2014)

*I have always thought they were created by spiders, however i have seen a few of these colorful worms on the cactus lately!*


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## mike taylor (Aug 9, 2014)

I haven't seen any bugs on my cactus . But I bet Yvonne or Tom will know .


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## Kirin (Aug 9, 2014)

is it a web or is it like spit? if it is like spit then it is baby spittle bugs. either way it is a bug of some type.


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## sageharmon (Aug 9, 2014)

I went to a ranch house, and they said that Indians used to use that purple stuff as face paint!!!


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## ALDABRAMAN (Aug 9, 2014)

Kirin said:


> is it a web or is it like spit? if it is like spit then it is baby spittle bugs. either way it is a bug of some type.



* I am not sure, could be spit!


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## Rob.harmon (Aug 9, 2014)

I heard that Indians used it as a dye type thing


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## ALDABRAMAN (Aug 9, 2014)

sageharmon said:


> I went to a ranch house, and they said that Indians used to use that purple stuff as face paint!!!



* Usually when i wash it all off the purple colored substance leaves purple stains on my fingers! LOL


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## ALDABRAMAN (Aug 9, 2014)

*What ever it is does not seem to eat or damage the cactus at all!*


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## ALDABRAMAN (Aug 9, 2014)

*I actually think it is a spit and not a web! *


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## wellington (Aug 9, 2014)

It doesn't look like a web. Those worms are beautiful. @Yvonne G can ya help here? I'm curious about the worms too if ya know


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## zenoandthetortoise (Aug 9, 2014)

It's a scale insect called colloquially Cochineal. 
Or more specifically, Dactylopius coccus, Costa, 1835. It was historically commercial source of dye, hence the purple. Currently, Starbucks is getting complaints from vegans that frappacinos are colored with ground up insects. 
The larvae pictures are unrelated.


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## TXTortOwner (Aug 9, 2014)

Cochineal will eventually kill the cactus, but only if it gets super dense and over a really long time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal


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## T33's Torts (Aug 9, 2014)

Hey! Play nice Basil!


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## ALDABRAMAN (Aug 10, 2014)

TXTortOwner said:


> Cochineal will eventually kill the cactus, but only if it gets super dense and over a really long time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal



* Does the spit kill the cactus or the insect itself?


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## Tom (Aug 10, 2014)

What do you mean "spit"? The insects make a little fuzzy case around themselves for protection. The insects hidden under the white fuzzy stuff are parasitizing your cactus. I'm fighting them here too. Do your best to wipe them off every few days or more often. I smash them at every opportunity and rinse the purple stuff away.

I have not found a way to kill them that works for cactus that I intend to feed out. I encircled the bases of uninfected cactus stands with cedar shavings and that seems to be holding them off, but I can't seem to kill them fast enough by hand on the infected stands.


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## zenoandthetortoise (Aug 10, 2014)

ALDABRAMAN said:


> * Does the spit kill the cactus or the insect itself?



The insects are true bugs so have a beak like mouth to piece the plant tissue and feed on the juices. Generally they kill plants by depletion if the feeding is severe, alternatively they can also spread virus. 

Scale insect can be controlled by insecticidal soap. This is an example:




I have made my own with Dawn dishwashing soap, but it's really easy to mix it too strong and scorch your plants


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## Kirin (Aug 11, 2014)

I fight all bugs with a spray bottle with dawn dish soap and water. the soap will break down the skeletor system and kill the bugs. put about 2 teaspoon in the water and shake it up. it work great.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Oct 4, 2014)

I am going to try the dawn soap remedy and advise!


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## Yvonne G (Oct 5, 2014)

Hi Greg:

That is mealy bugs. The males can fly, but the females sit on the cactus pad under their mantle of fuzz and suck the plant's juices. When you squish them that's the colored dye you're seeing - bug blood and guts.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Oct 5, 2014)

Yvonne G said:


> Hi Greg:
> 
> That is mealy bugs. The males can fly, but the females sit on the cactus pad under their mantle of fuzz and suck the plant's juices. When you squish them that's the colored dye you're seeing - bug blood and guts.



* I ended up spending several hours today squishing (Tom's method) all the bugs by hand instead of using the soap spray method! I think it will just be a constant maintenance thing, LOL!


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