'Scale' on mammillaria?

[Nory]

I have a mammillaria carmenae which has what looks like some sort of scaly substance on and between the tubercles (photos attached). Does anyone know what this is, what causes it, if it's a serious problem and how to treat it?

[Chris43]

I can't see clearly enough to say, so I could just be way off beam, but could they be seed pods? M. carmenae has green pods, unlike the more usual red, and the position is right for there to be fruit. If I were you I'd try to cut one off and examine it inside.

[Russell99]

Looks like old mite damage

[esp]

Looks like old mite damage

That was my thought too

[Chris43]

I need new glasses, clearly!!

[Terry S.]

Is it just dead flowers? Difficult to see in the photos.

[iann]

Looks like some form of old scarring to me. Possibly from mites, hard to be sure without seeing it more close up.

[Nory]

Thanks everyone - I've tried to take some better photos so hopefully these will be a bit clearer, but it's quite difficult to get a focussed close-up shot through the spines.

The scale covers a substantial amount of the main plant - more than I'd originally realised. It hasn't flowered before but has been a bit neglected to be honest. I've never treated it for mites, but if it is old mite damage, will this affect the growth of the plant and is there anything I need to do to "fix" the problem?

[Diane]

I would suspect mite damage, and the plant is now producing healthy growth. Hopefully it will continue to grow normally, but keep watch to ensure it gets no further attacks. A jeweller’s loupe is a very useful tool to have as mites are almost too small to see with the naked eye until the damage is done.

[FredG]

I find these excellent for wearing around the greenhouse for checking plants. They just flip up when not in use and will certainly not break the bank.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Four-Lens-1- ... 0005.m1851