What's eating my doyenné du comice pear?

Doyenné du Comice pears suffer most from pear leaf blister mite and pear sucker, while codling moth and pear midge can ruin the large, prized fruits. Deer will browse young shoots and bark in winter. Control pear midge with timely insecticide application at white-bud stage to protect the crop.

Larvae feed inside the developing fruitlet, which blackens inside and drops early, often before mid-June. Apply an approved insecticide (deltamethrin) at white-bud stage, before flowers open; remove and destroy all early-drop fruitlets to break the life cycle.

Tiny mites cause creamy-pink or red blisters across the leaf surface that turn black and disfigure the canopy. No chemical control is available to home growers in most regions; prune out and destroy severely affected shoots; healthy, well-fed trees usually outgrow the damage.

Nymphs suck sap from shoots and cover them in sticky honeydew, promoting black sooty mould and weakening growth. Encourage predatory bugs; spray with insecticidal soap or pyrethrin at bud break targeting the overwintering adults before eggs hatch.

Larvae tunnel into the core of developing fruit, causing premature drop or heavily damaged fruit at harvest. Hang pheromone traps from May; apply spinosad at petal fall; collect windfalls promptly.