There are so many of these bugs and they move pretty quicklyThere is O . fragiles v. denuda. There are several varieties that are called Cat's paw cactus: potato Cactus,nevada cushion, Black Cat, and Alberta sunset. They have them at Coldhardcactus. It wasn't the cocineal bug it was a coreid bug that is causing me problems.. Sorry http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/beneficial/c_v_aequoris.htm

Carpet Burrweed "Soliva sessilis) is considered a noxious weed with no benefits. It is a winter annual that dies back in the summer after forming seeds, and not watering your lawn leaves the soil open for the seeds to sprout when the rains come. Humans tend to be the major source of the spread of the seeds. The spines are attached to the seeds. Germination begins early and seedlings develop rapidly, usually faster than the grass it grows in. Since you don't water your lawn, and the weed likes compacted soil and sun, you might consider either sheet-mulching your entire lawn area (shading it out), or rototilling the whole thing, then when you see the first small plant, keep the top few inches of soil loosened. And keep doing it (preventing the compaction it likes). Germination starts with the first heavy rains of autumn, so you would need to keep on top of it when you need to, not when you can get around to it (too late). Scientists seem to think that there is a fairly low carry-over of seed from year to year, so if you could eliminate the seed production for one year (about Feb to July or so), the existing seeds may not live long enough to keep germinating year after year. If you want to keep your lawn, you should probably ferilize it with compost or manure, overseed it well, water it, and cut it higher so it can help shade out the burrweed. Or you could fertilize with natural fertilizers (compost and manure), then lay sod over it. The microbial action of the compost and manure could help the seeds to rot, with the help of the sod in keeping out the light. It can be removed manually in late winter and early spring, but if you wait until the seeds form, you're wasting your time. This weed is rather famous here in WA, as we get a lot of rain for 8-9 months, then nothing all summer, producing the conditions it prefers. 8-( Sue

Looks somewhat like Canada thistle, but not really. If it is Canada, it has an extensive root system and you will have to remove every plant you see, continously for a couple years, to starve out the roots. Otherwise, lawn herbicides for broadleaf weeds will keep in it check but not kill it. Products with Clopyrilid ?sp will do a better job, as will Round-up, particularly in the fall. It looks to me a bit more like a different thistle, which is likely a biennial--it starts growing one year, sometimes in late summer or fall and forms a low growing rosette. Next year it will shoot up and go to seed. If it is this type of thistle, broadleaf herbicides will usually control it during the first year but control other than chopping it is difficult the second year when it is trying to go to seed--though if you keep it mowed off the second year, it won't be able to produce seed heads. It will die after the second year and new plants will come from seed only.

Hello Becky, sorry no one has been in to help you out yet....this is most unusual as ppl get replies on almost every single case. If the who,e base of the plant is rotting and it's spreading upwards and to other stems, I think the best way to go is just as you said, try to harvest any strong unaffected pads, whole ones if you can. I know nothing of opuntias so I'm only going with what I would do.......let the end dry off for a at or so, it will be fine then plant in a gritty free draining soil, with little peat. For eg...mix cactus mix, perlite and something like aquarium gravel or the stuff you put on top of alpine troughs in equal quantities. B and Q, Wilko and any garden centre will sell the ingredients for you. Don't just use cactus mix on its own, they will only rot again. When you pot them up, just bury enough so they don't fall over, push sticks or canes around to support, the mix should be damp please don't water it till you see evidence of growth or resistance when you tug gently. Keep in dappled shade, no direct sun. Have no idea if you slice a rotten bit off the base whether the top bit could root, I think maybe so. If you try some this way, let it callous over really well before planting it. Need to get all brown rot off and cut back to green or white healthy tissue. Now hoping someone else will come on and confirm the above, but it's what I would do.....if that's any help. Hope all goes well. Keep us informed please. Gill....also in the UK,