mealybugs on Echinocereus
Quick answer
If your Echinocereus has mealybugs, the most likely cause is: Mealy bugs are the most common pest of cacti and succulent collections and readily settle on Echinocereus in the crown, between ribs, and on the roots; they are small, elliptical insects covered in a waxy white meal, and the related root mealy bug shows up as a white dusty substance around the root system and on the inside of the pot.
Start here:
- 1. Bare the roots of the affected Echinocereus, wash every trace of old soil off the root ball, then dip the whole plant in a dilute pesticide or malathion solution before repotting into fresh, fast-draining cactus mix.
- 2. Hand-remove any visible mealy tufts with a brush dipped in alcohol and follow up with insecticidal soap sprays applied to the crown and crevices between the ribs, repeating applications to catch newly hatched crawlers.
Why Echinocereus gets mealybugs
Echinocereus
Mealy bugs are the most common pest of cacti and succulent collections and readily settle on Echinocereus in the crown, between ribs, and on the roots; they are small, elliptical insects covered in a waxy white meal, and the related root mealy bug shows up as a white dusty substance around the root system and on the inside of the pot.
How to reverse mealybugs on Echinocereus
- 1
Bare the roots of the affected Echinocereus, wash every trace of old soil off the root ball, then dip the whole plant in a dilute pesticide or malathion solution before repotting into fresh, fast-draining cactus mix.
- 2
Hand-remove any visible mealy tufts with a brush dipped in alcohol and follow up with insecticidal soap sprays applied to the crown and crevices between the ribs, repeating applications to catch newly hatched crawlers.
- 3
Quarantine the treated plant away from the rest of the cactus collection for several weeks so any surviving mealy bugs cannot spread to neighbouring Echinocereus specimens.
Keep mealybugs off this Echinocereus
Quarantine and inspect every new cactus and check its roots before adding it to the collection, and sterilize the area around any infested plant because the waxy meal protects the insects from many contact sprays.