How to Save a Flowering Pear Tree From Caterpillars

Flowering pear trees are susceptible to tent caterpillars. If these caterpillars are not removed, they will feed on the leaves, fruit and stems of your pear tree. The codling moth caterpillars tunnel their way into the fruit until they reach the core. It is important to save your flowering pear tree from caterpillars early in the season, before they cause damage to your tree.

Gloves
Saw or pruning shears
Black plastic bag
Insecticide
Pheromone traps

Instructions

- 1
  Examine the stems of the pear-tree larvae sacks. These sacks are hardened areas on the stems and they are brown or gray color. Remove these areas, destroy the caterpillars and dispose of them.
- 2
  Remove the webbing; destroy any caterpillars you see on the webbing.
- 3
  Cut away the infected branch and dispose of it. One option is to place the caterpillar-infested branch into a black plastic bag and tie the bag shut. Leave the bag in the hot sun for seven days to kill the caterpillars. Toss the bag into the trash can. Do not use the contents in your compost pile, because you risk transferring the caterpillars and larvae to other areas of your garden.
- 4
  Break the webbing open with a stick and spray inside the sack with an insecticide safe to use on your pear tree. If you don't break the webbing apart, the bug spray will not penetrate to the center of the web.
- 5
  Hang pheromone traps in the pear trees late in the spring to early autumn. These sticky traps catch the male moths, breaking their cycle.

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