What's eating my williams pear?

Williams pear is notably susceptible to pear midge, which destroys fruitlets before harvest. Pear leaf blister mite causes unsightly blistered foliage. Aphids colonise new growth in spring. Wasps and birds attack ripe fruit from August when Williams ripens early. Remove midged fruitlets immediately to limit future populations.

Young fruitlets swell, blacken, and fall prematurely in May–June; white larvae found in the core; heavy crop loss in bad years Collect and bin (do not compost) all blackened fruitlets; cultivate beneath the tree in late summer to expose pupae to birds; consider sacrificial flowering-time exclusion netting

Yellowish green then brown or black blistering on upper leaf surfaces throughout the growing season Winter plant-oil wash to kill overwintering eggs in bark scales; pick off and burn blister-covered leaves; sulphur-based sprays at bud-break

Leaf curl and yellowing on shoot tips from April; sticky honeydew and sooty mould follow; fruitlet distortion if severe Encourage natural predators (ladybirds, hoverflies); insecticidal soap spray on colonies; winter wash with plant oils to smother overwintering eggs

Ripe Williams fruit (ready from late August) is pierced and hollowed by wasps; birds peck open the same wounds, accelerating rot Net the canopy before fruits begin to colour; hang wasp traps (sugar-water) around the tree; harvest promptly as soon as ripe