How to treat and combat pear gall mites

Pear

The pear gall mite loves to infest fruit trees. This pest reduces and damages crop yields, causing significant losses to both the owners and the plants themselves. Therefore, it is essential to combat this pest using any available means.

Description of the pest

This small insect has an elongated body no more than 0.2 mm long. If you look at the photo, you'll notice that the tick resembles a worm. It has two pairs of legs and a piercing-sucking mouthpart. Most adults are female. It feeds on the sap of fruit trees. Its larvae are carried to the site by wind, birds, and insects. During the winter, they hide under bud scales.

After the air warms, females begin laying eggs. Several generations emerge over the course of a season. The first generations reproduce and parasitize trees, while the last generation begins to burrow into buds in midsummer to overwinter, awaiting the following spring.

The dangers of pear gall mite

Gall mites are dangerous because they slow the growth of new shoots and damage buds, fruit buds, and flower buds. Damaged buds also cause changes in the leaves, disrupting photosynthesis. Fruit buds become malformed, fall prematurely, or fail to form at all. The punctures they leave behind allow pathogens to easily penetrate, causing the tree to become deficient in nutrients.

If gall mites are detected on pear trees, control measures must be taken immediately, otherwise crop losses will be colossal – up to 95%. Young seedlings can quickly perish from the massive infestation.

Signs and causes of tick infestation

In spring, buds affected by the pest are clearly visible. Although they are quite large, their development is delayed by approximately 14 days. If some buds have already opened, while other, larger ones are not even beginning to open, it can be assumed that gall mites infested them during the winter.

Attention!

It is necessary to examine more closely the bottom and middle of the crown as close to the trunk as possible.

After the females emerge from the buds, they begin sucking sap from young leaves, piercing them and laying eggs. Two swollen stripes can be seen on the leaf when infested. The damage resembles greenish blisters, measuring 3 mm in length. Gradually, the pests turn dark brown, covering the entire surface. Over time, they turn black. If left untreated, the mites on pear trees curl and fall off.

Besides wind, birds, and insects, gall mites can also appear if the crown is not pruned for a long time. These parasites are caused by excessive amounts of phosphorus fertilizers, certain stimulating agents, and insecticides that kill insects, such as dragonflies, which prey on these pests.

Chemicals for tick control

One of the most effective methods for protecting and destroying gall mites is considered to be treatment with chemicals.

The processing is carried out in 3 stages:

the first time when the weather gets warm and the pests crawl out of their hiding places;
in summer after flowering;
after harvesting the fruits, before frost sets in.

Biological agents

Biological products are effective against gall mites, one of which is Vertimek, a stomach-and-contact acaricide. It is used against pests that have not been controlled by other acaricides. Vertimek is capable of killing parasites on both the upper and lower leaf surfaces. Fruit can be harvested three days after treatment.

To combat gall mites on pear trees, use Fitoverm, the active ingredient it contains, which does not accumulate in the fruit. It can be applied to trees during fruiting. Its effectiveness is noted at high temperatures.

If gall mites appear on pear trees, effective control measures include treatments before bud break and after flowering. Experts warn that these pests develop resistance to treatments over time, so it's important to alternate biological and chemical treatments.

Folk remedies

To combat a small colony of gall mites, you can use folk remedies.

Attention!

You shouldn't expect a strong effect, unlike with chemical and biological drugs, but you can try.

One well-known remedy is potato tops. In summer, green ones are used, but for early spring control, dried ones are recommended. For 10 liters of warm water, you'll need 1 kg of fresh tops, and 0.5 kg of dried tops. Crumble the tops, let them steep for 4 hours, strain, and add 1 tablespoon of laundry soap; dishwashing liquid can be used instead. The prepared solution should not be left for long; it becomes unusable after 24 hours.

https://youtu.be/hrsOXXDE5JI

You can use calendula; all of it is suitable: stems, flowers, and leaves. Boil 100 grams of the plant in 1 liter of water for 10 minutes. Let it sit for 5 days, then dilute with clean water at a 1:1 ratio. The resulting solution is ready to use; to ensure better adhesion to the surface of the pear tree leaves, add a little liquid soap.

Dandelion infusion is considered a good folk remedy for gall mite control. Add 1 kg of fresh leaves to 3 liters of water and place in a warm place for 3 days. Then strain, adding a small amount of dissolved laundry soap to improve adhesion. When applying the infusion, be careful not to miss the affected areas. Any treatment should be carried out in the evening or early morning. Otherwise, sunburn will appear on the leaves where the liquid comes into contact with the leaves. Avoid applying the infusion if rain is expected soon. The infusion should remain on the tree for at least 10 hours, otherwise its effectiveness will be reduced.

Preventive measures

Since gall mite reproduction is affected by excess phosphorus, fertilizers should not be applied haphazardly; everything must be carefully calculated. An excellent solution is to feed pear trees with ash, which boosts their immunity. In the fall, the trees should be whitewashed with lime, but before doing so, remove old bark from the trunks.

Sanitary and thinning pruning are mandatory, and skeletal branches and trunks are cleared of dead bark. With the onset of autumn, fallen leaves are collected, and the soil around the trees is dug up. The area is cleared of any remaining vegetation. Experts recommend purchasing pest-resistant varieties.