a nopal cactus farm for the production of cochineal is traditionally known as a nopalry. the two methods of farming cochineal are traditional and controlled. cochineals are farmed in the traditional method by planting infected cactus pads or infesting existing cacti with cochineals and harvesting the insects by hand. the controlled method uses small baskets called zapotec nests placed on host cacti. the baskets contain clean, fertile females that leave the nests and settle on the cactus to await fertilization by the males. in both cases, the cochineals must be protected from predation, cold, and rain. the complete cycle lasts three months, during which time the cacti are kept at a constant temperature of 27 °c (81 °f). at the end of the cycle, the new cochineals are left to reproduce or are collected and dried for dye production.