What's eating my santa rita prickly pear?

Santa Rita Prickly Pear (Opuntia santa-rita) is grown as a houseplant or patio plant indoors, and outdoors in mild climates. Cochineal scale is the most characteristic pest of Opuntia, producing vivid red dye. Mealybugs and spider mites are secondary indoor threats. Outdoors, rabbits and deer may browse pads despite the spines, and cactus borers can attack.

Dense white cottony tufts on pads; inside is vivid red-pink (the dye); heavy infestations cause pad yellowing and drop. Blast off with a strong jet of water; scrub pads with a soft brush and diluted neem or insecticidal soap; repeat fortnightly; keep good air circulation.

White fluffy residue in areoles and along pad edges; honeydew; reduced vigor. Spot-treat with isopropyl alcohol; spray with neem oil or insecticidal soap; treat weekly for a month.

Pads gnawed or removed at ground level, especially in winter when food is scarce — yes, despite the glochids. Use wire caging around the base of plants in areas with high rabbit pressure; plant in a raised bed or courtyard; physical exclusion is most reliable.

Fine webbing and pale stippling on pad surfaces in hot, dry conditions indoors. Wipe pads with a damp cloth; apply neem oil spray; improve humidity and air circulation around the plant.