What's eating my fishbone cactus?

Fishbone cactus (Epiphyllum anguliger) is a humidity-loving houseplant most commonly attacked by mealybugs tucked into its zig-zag notches, and by spider mites when air is too dry. Scale and fungus gnats are secondary threats. Check the wavy stem edges closely — pests hide in every indentation.

Fluffy white wax deposits nestled in stem notches; honeydew drips and sooty mold develops Swab each notch with rubbing alcohol; follow up with weekly neem oil spray until clear

Fine webbing across stems; pale stippling or dullness on the flat stem surface in low-humidity rooms Raise humidity with a pebble tray or humidifier; rinse stems in the shower and apply insecticidal soap

Hard waxy bumps along stem edges; slow growth and yellowing as feeding continues Scrub off with alcohol-soaked cotton; treat remaining crawlers with horticultural oil spray

Tiny flies around soil; larvae chew fine roots in persistently moist compost, causing wilting Allow the top 2 in of compost to dry between waterings; use yellow sticky traps and a Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) soil drench