What's eating my pawpaw 'overleese'?

Pawpaw 'Overleese' is one of the largest-fruited pawpaw cultivars and shares the species' naturally strong pest resistance. Wildlife — especially squirrels, raccoons, and deer — pose the greatest risk. The pawpaw peduncle borer destroys flower buds in spring. Fungal diseases in wet springs are a bigger concern than insect pests.

Large fruit makes 'Overleese' especially attractive to wildlife; fruit is bitten, knocked down, or carried off before harvest. Monitor trees daily as fruit ripens in late summer; harvest at first sign of softening; use wire trunk guards and fruit-protection netting.

Spring larvae bore into floral peduncles, killing flower clusters and suppressing fruit set; damage may vary year to year. Hand-pollinate early flowers before borer peak; keep the area under trees clear of debris; promote parasitoid wasp habitat with companion plantings.

Young trees stripped of shoots and leaves in winter and early spring; antler rubbing can wound and girdle trunks. Use sturdy wire mesh cylinders or grow tubes on trees until 2 m height; install metal trunk spirals to prevent rubbing damage.