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These strange white spores have stared to appear on a couple of my… | Pests, diseases and problems 🇺🇸 | Planta-community

xanplex

These strange white spores have stared to appear on a couple of my plants and they don’t seem too happy about it. Any ideas on what it could be?

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2 gillningar 9 kommentarer

9 kommentarer

  1. Wolfen 🐺

    Looks like Cochineal, it's a pest

    1 gilla
    • xanplex

      Ah I see. Thank you so much, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what it was

      1 gilla
    • Wolfen 🐺

      The issue, especially on cacti is people mistake it for a natural cactus feature. Like the puffy white glochids. And these guys are extremely prolific like mealy bugs.

      2 gillningar
    • xanplex

      Of course, that makes sense. Thankfully in some ways I’ve never come across it before. I did have a gnat problem but I solved that with a sprinkle of cinnamon haha

      1 gilla
  2. KJM

    I've never heard of cochineal! You learn something new everyday. You must live in the southwest because I don't think I've ever seen them around me in Iowa. They look like a close relative of mealy bug. Since you have seen them on more than one of your plants I would treat everything and then treat it again in a few days. If they are anything like mealy bugs you have to stay on them in order to eradicate them. Good luck.

    2 gillningar
    • Sunny

      Google it. Cochineal are a huge part of the food, drug and paint industry. They produce a natural dye. It’s known as Carmine Red in paints named after the carmine acid the bugs contain. It’s in lipstick, cheetos, tomato based processed foods and many others because it’s a stable dye. A lot of the lab created red dyes have been banned because they can cause cancer. They are not welcomed on houseplants. They remind me of mealybugs too much. 🍀🪴

      2 gillningar
    • xanplex

      I’d never heard of them either. I had a succulent gifted to me recently and I think that’s where they came from. They’ve definitely moved to another of my plants. Fingers crossed I can keep it under control

      1 gilla
    • Wolfen 🐺

      Treat everything nearby! And make sure to wipe down the bottom of the pots too.

      1 gilla
  3. KJM

    I am so glad that I do not wear red lipstick or eat Cheetos.

    1 gilla