Question
I am 9 years old and I have a 7cm tall cactus. It is on the window sill and gets plenty of sun. I live in Canberra Australia. My cactus is getting little white bits on it. What can I do to fix it?

Answer
Hi Samson,

Your Cactus has a plant pest called mealybug. Mealybugs don't look like insects. They are tiny and nearly invisible when they are young and when they are older, they attach themselves to one part of a plant and then grow a white fuzzy coating to protect themselves while they lay eggs underneath and suck sap from the plant.

The best way to treat them is to mix into a spray bottle 5 parts of plain water with one part of isopropyl alcohol and a squirt of liquid dish soap. Then thoroughly spray the entire plant until all surfaces are dripping wet. Be careful that you get complete coverage otherwise you will miss a few and they will multiply and you will have the same problem all over again in a couple of months.

I have written an article on plant pests that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who sends a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

If this information has been helpful, please click the Rate Volunteer bar below and enter a rating and nomination for me. I am a volunteer on this site so Ratings are the only compensation I receive for answering plant questions.

Need more information? Visit my website at www.HorticulturalHelp.com
or email me at [email protected] or call me at 917-887-8601 (EST)
 
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC