Tuna found in the desert? OK, fair enough: that’s tuna, as in the Spanish for prickly pear, the fruit of the nopal. Ken Factor and I have spotted an ancient cactus tree growing close to the veranda ...

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 ...

Gil Martinez, who gardens in Encino, sent me pictures of a prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) infested with cochineal (KOTCH-ih-neel) scales. Martinez was concerned since he has a sentimental ...

So you thought that grasshoppers were the only insect you had to worry about this summer? Wrong! Two years ago, I wrote an article about cochineal scale (Dactylopius coccus), which had infested my ...

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 ...

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the ...

Hard dry heat in late summer makes cactus dehydrate and opportunistic scale insects are invading. My prickly pears needed treatment all of a sudden, proving conditions are right for rapid infestation ...