What pests attack pear?

Black-veined white, Broad mite, Codling moth, Pear psylla, Scale insects, Woolly aphid, Leaf rollers, Pear slug sawfly

What diseases affect pear?

Brown rot and blossom wilt, Fire blight, Apple scab, Black rot and frogeye leaf spot, Pear rust, Rust

What else goes wrong with pear?

Boron deficiency, Frost cracks and winter sunscald

Pear pests and diseases: how to recognise them

Q: Which pear problems need quick action?

Brown rot and blossom wilt: A soft brown rot spreads over the fruit, with buff pustules often in concentric rings. Fire blight: Blossoms wilt and turn brown to black at flowering time.

Pyrus communis

The pests, diseases and disorders recorded for pear in our library, each with a photo and its first symptom. Every page has the full list of symptoms, organic and chemical treatment and prevention.

At a glance

Problems in total	16
Pests	8
Diseases	6
Nutrient deficiencies	1
Growing conditions	1
Need quick action	2

How to grow pear · All pests and diseases

Pests

Black-veined whiteIn winter, nests of a few dry leaves spun together with silk hang in the crown, each holding dozens of small caterpillars.Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Broad miteLeaf edges pucker and turn downward because the leaves cannot expand normally.Photo: David Riley, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Codling mothA hole in the side or the eye end of the fruit, often plugged with reddish-brown crumbly droppings.Also called: codlin mothPhoto: Simon Winkley & Ken Walker, Museum Victoria, CC BY 3.0 au, Wikimedia Commons
Pear psyllaSticky honeydew on leaves and fruit, soon covered with black sooty mould.Also called: pear psyllidPhoto: Mick E. Talbot, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Scale insectsSticky honeydew on leaves or on surfaces below the plant, often with black sooty mould.Photo: BARAKAT2011, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Woolly aphidFluffy white wax on the bark, in cracks and pruning wounds, hiding blackish-brown aphids.Photo: Abrahami, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
Leaf rollersThe bound leaves dry up and turn brown; foliage looks ragged.Also called: tortrix moths, leafroller mothsPhoto: Patrick Clement, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Pear slug sawflySlimy, slug-like dark larvae up to about 10 mm long on the upper side of the leaves.Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Diseases

Nutrient deficiencies

Boron deficiencyBrown cracks on the upper side of celery stalks, with reddish-brown tissue inside.Photo: Jan Hinrichs-Berger, LTZ Augustenberg, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Growing conditions

Frost cracks and winter sunscaldLong vertical splits in the trunk, usually on the south or south-west side.Photo: Roger Griffith, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Which pear problems need quick action?

These spread or do lasting harm fast; check the plants and start treatment the day you see them.

Brown rot and blossom wilt: Rotted fruit dries into shrivelled mummies that stay on the tree.
Fire blight: Dead blackened leaves and fruit stay on the branches, so the tree looks scorched.

Plants with many of the same problems

Which plants each problem affects: sources

The links between these problems and the plant were checked against these pages.