Usually appears on Prickly pears and chollas, but can attack other cacti. Looks like white sticky mounds. Inside are cochineal bugs -- if crushed, a purple die exudes. To kill, use a hose end sprayer. Fill 1/2 with insecticidal soap (Home Depot stocks) and the other 1/2 with water. You can mix malathian in the water to be more effective. You can substitue liquid dish soap for the insecticidal soap, but dish soap is not as effective. Set power sprayer on 1 or 2 oz per gallon and hose off the scale. This should kill the scale within 7 days. If the scale still has purple die

after 10 - 14 days, spray again. During the winter months ONLY the most effective method of cochineal eradication is to spray with Volck Oil spray (dormant season insect killer) which can be purchased from Home Depot.