The best means of combat

Does the curling disease appear on the pear tree?

The frizz disease is a fruit tree disease, which is caused by the fungus Taphrina deformans. She mainly performs peach trees, nectarine trees and almond trees. Occasionally he also attacks apricot trees. The Pear tree is not affected by curling disease. Nevertheless, this fruit tree can also get ruffled leaves. These two pests can be responsible for this:

• Mealy pear aphid
• pear leaf sucker

How do I recognize an infestation with the mealy pear aphid?

The mealy pear aphid (Dysaphis pyri) acts from the time the leaves shoot until around June, then switches to bedstraws before laying their eggs on the pear tree again in autumn. Both the damage and the pest are clearly visible.

damage picture

• leaves are strong deformed (ruffled)
• curl up in a spiral
• are coated with sticky honeydew secretions
• possibly. with rust spotscovered (by favored rust fungi)
• Shoots appear yellowed and compressed

pest

• aphids are 2-3 mm long and spherical
• they have no wings
• Body is covered with wax powder
• this makes them appear gray-blue
• the tentacles are yellow
• the erect abdominal tubes are black
• they live in dense colonies

How do I determine an infestation with pear leaf suckers?

An infestation with the pear leaf sucker shows a similar pattern of damage as an infestation with the pear aphid: ruffled, curled leaves and honeydew secretions. The pests are with 3-4mm slightly larger than aphids and also winged. The approx. 0.3 mm large eggs are first whitish then yellow. From the end of April, the approx. The larvae are about 2 mm long and are crowded together on the underside of the leaves and stems.

What can I do about curled leaves?

No effective remedy against pear leaf suckers is approved for the home garden. Visual checks for laid eggs and knocking checks help to detect an infestation at an early stage. These preventive measures are useful:

• Promoting beneficials
• such as ladybugs and earwigs
• use of plant strengtheners
• Closing the wintering places with bark paint

Even a lice infestation should go through controls discovered as early as possible and by spraying nettle broth be fought. If the leaves are already curled, a vigorous pruning can help.

Tip

Watch out for ant trails leading to the pear tree

Where there are lice, there are usually ants. Because lice are “milked” by ants. If you notice an ant trail leading towards the pear tree, you should take a close look at the tree. This allows you to stop an infestation before it can do more damage.