---
title: "What should I do if this is growing on my cactus I’m not sure what it…"
description: "What should I do if this is growing on my cactus I’m not sure what it is or how to deal with it."
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/vOLjreBcQ-OpqrHIhVSc4w/659a954992f96c4b198aa1af"
community: "The Cactus & Succulent Circle"
author: "Crested gecko friend"
published: "2024-01-07T12:12:57.537Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/cMW_2sm-2COu9SSx4mPTi6QL4F27EqcA5xR-LTmopks/9f1b948e896c414dac86e1af1a5448da.webp?size=large"
---

[Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [The Cactus \& Succulent Circle](https://getplanta.com/community/vOLjreBcQ-OpqrHIhVSc4w.md)

# What should I do if this is growing on my cactus I’m not sure what it…

_Posted by Crested gecko friend on 2024-01-07_

What should I do if this is growing on my cactus I’m not sure what it is or how to deal with it.

![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/cMW_2sm-2COu9SSx4mPTi6QL4F27EqcA5xR-LTmopks/9f1b948e896c414dac86e1af1a5448da.webp?size=large)

## 8 comments

### ✨🌼 Katie 🌵🌙 commented on 2024-01-07

That may be a sign that this cactus has mealy bugs. I actually just had to treat my blue candle for this. I completely changed my soil, then treated it with neem oil and took some rubbing alcohol on a q-tip and wiped the webby white stuff off my cactus.

#### Crested gecko friend replied on 2024-01-07

Thank you

### Crested gecko friend commented on 2024-01-07

Thank uou

### Women are Water commented on 2024-01-07

Looks like mealy bugs to me

### Crested gecko friend commented on 2024-01-07

Thanks

### Dave\_opuntiaface commented on 2024-01-07

You might have to treat it a few times, and you might want to dig it up if it keeps happening.

I’m hopefully at the end of my mealy bug problems over here, and I have had to do a few drastic things that seem counterintuitive. Such was scrub a plant with a toothbrush while spraying it with a hose. The other problem is that sand and pearlite and wool all look like bugs lol. I’m learning which plants I don’t want to ever deal with again (most of the juicy Echinopsis and Mammillaria).

#### Crested gecko friend replied on 2024-01-07

Thank u

#### Dave\_opuntiaface replied on 2024-01-07

You got this!

---

_Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). Reading is open to everyone. To post, comment and like, get the Planta app: https://getplanta.com/download_