The tiny pear leaf blister mite can ravage your pear tree with ugly blisters. But it’s not all bad news. Here’s everything you need to know about this microscopic garden pest.
Pear leaf blister mite (Eriophyes pyri) is a microscopic gall mite that feeds and breeds on the leaves of pear trees between April and September.
They suck the contents out of leaf cells and their secretions cause leaves to blister in the areas where they are feeding.
These mites are extremely small (0.2mm long), so you won’t be able to identify them without a magnifying glass. However, their damage is easy to spot.
Pear leaf blister mites cause raised pink or yellow-green blisters on the foliage of pear trees in the spring. The blisters become black-brown later on in the season. Whole leaves can be affected and entire trees can become blistered.
Despite how awful the blisters look, they have little impact on pear trees’ overall health, and don’t usually affect cropping.
Pear leaf blister mites feed on the leaves of pear trees and some related trees such as rowan and whitebeam.
There are no chemical controls for pear leaf blister mite. Here are two methods that can help you reduce infestations:
© 2024 Thompson & Morgan. All rights reserved. A division of Branded Garden Products Limited.
Sign up for exclusive offers!