[Arid_gardener] Re: Cochineal Scale on Prickly Pear -Cactus.

[Olin Miller]

Cochineal Scale is an insect that lives under the white protective
on your prickly pear cactus.  Flush the white stuff off with a strong water
stream.  You need to be persistent and keep doing it regularly whenever the
white substance reappears because it would eventually kill your cactus if
not controlled.  Insecticides will not penetrate the white  substance so are
ineffective.  The purple Santa-Rita variety, Opuntia violacea var.
santa-rita, seems to be more vulnerable than others to the scale attacks.

Olin Miller, Master Gardener Volunteer, Maricopa County AZ
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----- Original Message ----- From: <akcarney at cox.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 9:38 PM
> My Purple Prickly Pear has a white substance on it - looks like a fungus??