Are these insect eggs?

[longers]

I found these while watering a cactus and wondered if anyone knew what might have laid them? I'm assuming they are insect eggs but could easiily be wrong.

They're about 1/2mm across and a bit creamier looking in real life than the not very good photograph shows. Any ideas please?

 

[MattHB]

Could do with a closer shot but from here it looks like mildew

 

[longers]

This is the best photo I can take.

 

[Cubist]

Alien spores. Go to sleep and they'll burrow into your brain and make you go mad.

Probably.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Compost looks moldy. Repot the cactus maybe?

 

[colly]

Omelette for breakfast then ?

 

[MattHB]

I still think its mildew

 

[theclaud]

Root mealybugs? http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/publications/documents/QIC60.pdf

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

http://www.alantitchmarsh.com/index.htm?ac=DYA56-b

 

[The Brewer]

Mold or some such bacteria, there's worse growing on fermenting beer

 

[Maz]

I still think its mildew

I don't believe it!

 

[longers]

I'll scrape it out and stick it in a mango chutney tub so I can still see if anything hatches and keep "them" from taking over the house. Or it'll just carry on being mildew.

 

[Aperitif]

Root mealybugs? http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/publications/documents/QIC60.pdf

They are 'dellzeggs' - be prepared to be taken for a ride...no-one knows the real answer, and your pot of cacti will be invaded by little pricks quicker than you can say "All up!"

 

[theclaud]

They are 'dellzeggs' - be prepared to be taken for a ride...no-one knows the real answer, and your pot of cacti will be invaded by little pricks quicker than you can say "All up!"

Very good, and a Happy New Year to you! And you are right of course - I know bugger all about cactus pests, but that isn't going to stop me.

Longers - my thought was not that the egg-like things were eggs, but that if looked at closely they might be the actual bugs (which are not actually bugs but some kind of aphid, and are about the size you describe), and the nondescript white meshy stuff their eggs. But that might be utter bollocks, of course.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Click my link, it's exactly the same stuff and how do deal with. I had to deal with it earlier in the year. I think it's coz of the wet weather.