Cactus is easy to take care of, but the low maintenance plant can develop issues that will need your attention. Find out what ...

My husband Jim says every cactus has eight sides if you plan to get at all the cochineal in the nooks and crannies. With shorter-spreading cactus, getting all the cochineal will be particularly tough.

Cochineal scale, an insect native to desert locations, attacks plants that are under stress, which may be caused by overwatering. The rain we had this spring might have contributed to this situation.

A: What you are seeing is signs of cochineal-scale insects (Dactylopius coccus) on your prickly pear cactus (Opuntia species).These insects produce a white waxy covering where they feed to protect ...

Cochineal scale insects suck sap from prickly pear cacti, and can reduce plant vigor. Courtesy of H. Zell ... The crawler stage is when they spread their population on cactus plants.

Adult female and immature cochineal bugs are flightless. But adult males have wings and can fly. After mating on the cactus, the females lay eggs and the nymphs remain on the plant to feed on its ...

This article was originally published with the title “ Cochineal Cultivation in Teneriffe ” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 13 No. 30 (April 1858), p. 237 doi:10.1038 ...

Flat-bodied cochineal bugs feast on the juices of wheel cactus, slowly killing the succulent. (ABC News: Brittany Evins)After three years of being involved in the project, Mr Wenske said this week ...

About 2000 years ago, Aztec people had been using cochineal insects to colour their textiles. It takes about 1,30,000 insects to produce a kilogramme of powdered dye.

The cochineal bugs are increasingly being used to control the cactus in number of different regions to stem the spread of cactus, including the Gawler River, Torrens River and Onkaparinga River.