What's eating my bosc pear?

Bosc pear's russeted skin makes pest damage harder to spot. Pear psylla and codling moth are the primary threats, as with all European pears. The long neck is prone to pear midge larval attack. Deer browse the tree heavily in winter. Vigilant pheromone-trap monitoring from petal fall is essential.

Honeydew and sooty mould on the rough-skinned fruit; premature leaf drop; repeated heavy infestations vector pear decline Dormant horticultural oil before pink bud; kaolin clay during the growing season; avoid pyrethroid sprays that eliminate natural enemies

Larvae tunnel to the core; entry point near calyx end is distinctive; frass and rotting flesh inside apparently healthy-looking fruit Pheromone traps; codling moth granulosis virus (Cyd-X) or spinosad; corrugated cardboard trunk bands in summer trap pupating larvae

Tiny maggots inside fruitlets cause them to blacken, distort, and drop in early summer — often several weeks before natural thinning Remove and destroy fallen fruitlets before larvae exit to pupate in soil; fine-mesh netting over blossoms prevents adult egg-laying

Browse on shoots and flower buds; antler rubbing strips bark from the trunk, creating entry wounds for disease Fence the orchard or use 1.8 m individual tree guards; repellent sprays (active ingredient: putrescent egg solids) on lower branches