Pear Psylla

Pear Psylla (Cacopsylla pyricola)

Identification

• Small, oval, creamy white to yellow eggs can be found before buds open at the base of terminals and fruit spurs.
• Adult pictured above is similar in size to a fruit fly.

Reasons for Control

• As a sap-sucker, the insect can stunt, defoliate, and/or kill pear trees when present in large numbers.
• Excretions support fungal growth that blackens trees and discolors fruit.
• Disease vector for Pear Decline, leading to unproductive plantings.

Control Notes

• Usually controlled in the early spring with dormant oil applications targeting the egg stage.