Lee...it looks like nobody ever replied to this post. I see it is exactly 6 years old so I had to reply to see if you even remember posting it! As for the snow scale, I just found a bunch on some of my hibiscus and read that insecticides aren't very useful but that horticultural oil is best. Here is a link that pertains to hibiscus treatment but it may also apply to ferns:

http://hiddenvalleyhibiscus.com/care/scale.htm

What did you end up doing about the scale back in June 2005?