What's eating my squirrel's paw fern?

Squirrel's Paw Fern (Davallia bullata) is most troubled by scale insects and mealybugs indoors. Spider mites can attack in hot, dry rooms, and fungus gnats breed in consistently moist potting mix. Keep humidity high and inspect the furry rhizomes regularly — pests often hide there.

Brown or tan bumps fixed to fronds and rhizomes; sticky honeydew and sooty mold on foliage Dab individual scales with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol; treat larger infestations with insecticidal soap or neem oil, repeating weekly for 3–4 weeks

White cottony clusters in frond axils and along rhizomes; fronds yellow and lose vigor Remove by hand with an alcohol-dipped swab; apply diluted neem oil spray and repeat every 7–10 days until clear

Fine webbing on undersides of fronds; tiny pale stippling across leaflets, fronds turn bronze Raise humidity, shower the plant to dislodge mites, and apply insecticidal soap or neem oil; repeat weekly for 3 weeks

Larvae chew fine roots; adults are a nuisance; seedlings and young plants may wilt Allow the top 2 inches of mix to dry between waterings; use yellow sticky traps for adults; apply Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) drench for larvae