Cactus, Bugs & Commerce

Cactus does grow in Florida – in sunny dry places. When we visited the Hallstrom House Farmstead on 2/8/2026, we saw eastern prickly pear cactus (Opuntia mesacantha) covered with cochineal scale (Dactylopius coccus).

This cactus has bright yellow flowers that last only and are full of pollen and nectar. Large native bees are its primary pollinators, though other insects happily visit.

The fruits (tunas) are pinkish purple when ripe. They are beloved by gopher tortoise, other wildlife, and people. Sometimes, you will see them for sale in grocery stores. They can be eaten raw or made into juice, jam, or syrup. The fruits pictured below are not ripe yet. Look closely and will notice the small hairlike bristles (glochids) on the fruits that can be quite irritating.

Glochids and long fixed spines also grace the pads (clododes). After the glochids are removed, the tender, succulent pads can be sautéed or grilled.

Cochineal scale was and is an item of commerce. This scale is covered with a white, cottony fuzz that helps to deter predators. The scale “drinks” sap and water from the cactus pad. If you were to squeeze the scale, a carmine red colorant would erupt.

Aboriginal people in Southern Mexico “harvested” these scale insects for paint for murals and to dye cloth. This practice is said to date back to 2000BC.

Europeans prized this red dye from the New World, and the scale insects were harvested, dried, and crushed to extract this powerful red chemical. Only about 17% to 24% of the weight of the scale insects is carminic acid. It reportedly took 70,000 scale insects to produce one pound of pigment.

Needless to saw, this product was very costly and prized. Only the wealthiest could afford to wear red: Nobles, royalty, and clergy.

Carminic acid is still harvested (mostly from Peru) and used commercially to dye silk and wool and to color foods. Check your food label for carmine, cochineal extract, Natural Red #4, and E120 and enjoy knowing the source of this colorant: a scale insect. Products that use this colorant include Yoplait strawberry yogurt, red skittles, and Betty Crocker Velvet Cake mix.