Asian pear fruit pest - Ask Extension
Have 2 Asian pear trees, approx8 yrs old. last year the pears looked good but had an insect/pest that had eaten away at the cores. Every pear had ...
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Asian pear fruit pest #868899
Asked May 17, 2024, 1:27 PM EDT
Have 2 Asian pear trees, approx8 yrs old. last year the pears looked good but had an insect/pest that had eaten away at the cores. Every pear had the same problem. Is there something I can do this year to eradicate that problem?
Larimer County Colorado
Expert Response
Hello,
It's hard to say without photos, but I suspect that it's coddling moth, which is a really common insect - and the cause for the "wormy apples". It can also affect pear trees since they are closely related.
We have a good publication on coddling moth and the various ways of controlling it or disrupting the life cycle of the insect: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/codling-moth-control-in-home-plantings-5-613/
As the fruits start to form, thinning them and spacing them apart will be helpful. You can also try bands around the trunks of the trees or bagging the fruit. All of these are explained in detail in the publication above.
Sprays are also an option and there are both organic and synthetic options to consider.
It's hard to say without photos, but I suspect that it's coddling moth, which is a really common insect - and the cause for the "wormy apples". It can also affect pear trees since they are closely related.
We have a good publication on coddling moth and the various ways of controlling it or disrupting the life cycle of the insect: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/codling-moth-control-in-home-plantings-5-613/
As the fruits start to form, thinning them and spacing them apart will be helpful. You can also try bands around the trunks of the trees or bagging the fruit. All of these are explained in detail in the publication above.
Sprays are also an option and there are both organic and synthetic options to consider.
