In article , parakeet
wrote:

[image:http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/4...bd2455xt3.jpg]


This cactus used to look entirely different a week ago. A lot
chunkierand healthier.

I've been noticing tiny flies around my house for some weeks
(upstairs,downstairs). I figured it may be related to a dodgy spider
plantelsewhere in the house.

But I noticed today that the tip had shrivelled up. On closerinspection,
I saw that the flies were congregating on around the cactus(tapping it
revealed a couple more).

Also of concern - prodding the cactus reveals it to be rather
flimsy;feels hollowed out inside somewhat.

Is there any way to turn this around?! I'm beside myself, because
Iinherited this from a late friend.

On my father's advice, I filled a squirty bottle with water and
somewashing up liquid and sprayed the plant with that. In his
experience,that's killed blackfly on leaves.-- parakeet

The flies are devouring what already started to rot from too much
moisture. I doubt you can save the cactus but if any part of it seems
good, cut that off and give it to someone who has some experience rooting
cactus segments. You can try it yourself but there's a knack to it, seems
simple enough once you get good at it, but rarely works first couple
tries, especially with someone who couldn't keep a whole cactus alive. It
would've taken me at least three years to kill it!

-paghat the ratgirl
--
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http://www.paghat.com
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