Question
Hello,

I have small (approx. 0.5 - 0.75 mm) white bead-like structures that are spreading in the soil of my potted plants.  They started in the soil of a succulent (Night-Blooming Cereus) that was given to me and is not properly potted in a succulent potting mix.  They appear on the surface as well as throughout the soil. They can appear singly or in clusters that are covered by a downy white fuzz.  Those appearing singly are not covered by the fuzz.  The bead-like structures are hard to crush and if you rub them between your fingers they turn tan-colored instead of white.    I didn't water the plant for quite some time and they seem to resist drought but not sure if they are worsened with watering.   

They seem to be somehow spreading to near-by potted plants, all of which have been potted at different times with different soils.  All the plants appear to be healthy and unharmed.  This has been going on for some time (1+ yrs).  I thought they they were eggs, at first, but they never hatched and continue to proliferate.

I've searched all over the internet and have been unable to identify the soil pest, if it is harmful and what I should do about it.  Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Kindest Regards,

Michelle

Answer
Hi Michelle, what we are coming up with is scale as scale can turn brown.  There are so many new insects and pathogens redisigning themselves as they develop resistance to pesticides.  If you find this is the case you could try Atomic Grow which kills insects mechanically by penetrating the exoskeleton with nano particles.  Kathy