Patches on prickly pear cactus

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Attached is a photo of a discolored patch I just noticed on my prickly pear cactus that's in my bio active bearded dragon tank. I can rub it off easily with my finger or wet towel. Seems a little waxy but I can't see any evidence of bugs or anything like that with the naked eye. Smashing it on a paper towel breaks it up into fine pieces. Just curious what it is and if it's harmful to anything in my enclosure. The cactus seems to be doing great otherwise and has some new growth that's rapidly taking off. Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

105833-356911496.jpg
 

Wickedpogana

Juvie Member
timberwolf":t684mgnb said:
Attached is a photo of a discolored patch I just noticed on my prickly pear cactus that's in my bio active bearded dragon tank. I can rub it off easily with my finger or wet towel. Seems a little waxy but I can't see any evidence of bugs or anything like that with the naked eye. Smashing it on a paper towel breaks it up into fine pieces. Just curious what it is and if it's harmful to anything in my enclosure. The cactus seems to be doing great otherwise and has some new growth that's rapidly taking off. Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

105833-356911496.jpg
The prickly pear will begin to develop a purple tint when it gets colder and more dry and can turn purple when it's really cold but to be safe make sure it isnt Cochineal Scale Insects which might be the case as you can rub it off very common in prickly pear cactus, I also have a bioactive enclosure great to see others do the same thing . The plants I currently have are 3 hens and chicks 1 crassula 1 aloe vera and 2 dracaena
 

Wickedpogana

Juvie Member
Did you ever find out exactly what it was? Did the purple go away after it got hotter ?and it does look like some type of scale insect or fungi. hope for a update on it or if you removed it in precaution ? Did it turn out to be succulent Scale insects? Or meally bugs? It very well could of been scale insects as their are over 800 species I would remove it as Red Spider mites can also be on succulents or cacti. I 100% recommend getting HYPOASIS MITES they are a predatory mite that does not harm your reptile but will eat all the bad and harmful mites or fungi and bad microfauna that is harmful to your reptile and then die off after they completely eradicated the harmful bugs as they die from starving
 

timberwolf

Member
Original Poster
No, I never did find out what exactly it was. I wiped the cactus down with alcohol and the stuff came off. I then wiped it a few more times with wet paper towels and then rinsed it off. The stuff never came back. I'm thankful, but still a little curious. You mentioned you had 2 Dracaena. What kind are they? I recently picked up a red Dracaena Marginata and I'm wondering if it's safe to add to her enclosure. Any experience with that type?
 

Wickedpogana

Juvie Member
timberwolf":f9fulecn said:
No, I never did find out what exactly it was. I wiped the cactus down with alcohol and the stuff came off. I then wiped it a few more times with wet paper towels and then rinsed it off. The stuff never came back. I'm thankful, but still a little curious. You mentioned you had 2 Dracaena. What kind are they? I recently picked up a red Dracaena Marginata and I'm wondering if it's safe to add to her enclosure. Any experience with that type?
I dont have the Dracena in my enclosure anymore but it's safe and known as WARNECKII or Dracaena deremensis and there is Dracaena fragrans that is safe but unsure about that specific species of being safe Right now I have ten plants Burrows Tail, crassula ovata, houseleek, echeverria, Hensley and chicks , 3 elephant feed plants and a aloe vera
 
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