Q: I have a backyard prickly pear with a cochineal infestation. Does that need to be treated? Do these guys ever go away on their own? Are they even actually a problem for the cactus? A: Cochineal ...

Q: I have prickly pear cactus that has white patches on the pads that looks like little bits of cotton. What is this, and is this bad for the plant? A: Most likely what you are seeing on your cactus ...

Changes in Cyprus’ landscape often happen gradually. A plant that once appeared healthy begins to weaken. A familiar patch of countryside looks slightly different from one year to the next. By the ...

Q: I have white cotton clusters on my prickly pear cactus. What effect do they have on prickly pear cactuses? What is it and what should I do about it? A: Many of us have prickly pear cactus growing ...

Some of the prickly pear cacti are encrusted with a tangle of waxy, white silken threads. At first, the patches of white look like fungus or blotches of bleached, dead tissue. But closer inspection ...

The guts of an insect called the cochineal contain a traditional source of bright red dye -- a dye which has now become a booming industry because of a growing preference for juices and yogurts that ...

Cacti of the genera Opuntia and related species face significant losses from scale insects, cochineal pests and other herbivorous arthropods. Biological control offers sustainable alternatives to ...

Have you ever heard of cochineal? And I am not referring to the upscale restaurant in Marfa, Texas, but to the small, scale insect native to our area. This insect lives on nopal, prickly pear, Opuntia ...