What's eating my fishbone fern?

Fishbone Fern is most commonly attacked by spider mites in dry indoor conditions, producing webbing and pale, stippled fronds. Mealybugs hide in the dense frond clusters, and fungus gnats breed in perpetually moist soil. Keeping humidity high and avoiding soggy compost are the key preventive steps indoors.

Fine webbing across fronds; silvery or bronze stippling; fronds dry out and drop prematurely Mist fronds regularly to raise humidity; blast with a strong water spray; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil every 5–7 days for 3 cycles

White waxy wool in frond axils and along runners; sticky residue; distorted new fronds Remove with isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab; spray the whole plant with diluted neem oil; isolate from other houseplants

Adult gnats hover around soil; larvae damage fine roots, leading to poor growth and wilting Let the top layer of soil dry before re-watering; set yellow sticky traps; use a Bti drench to kill larvae in the growing medium