Pear fly
Contarinia pyrivora
This description was machine-translated.
How to spot it
The pear fly is a small fly species whose larvae develop directly in the young flesh of pears. The small fly lays its eggs already in the bloom, so the damage only becomes visible when the fruitlets are pea‑sized: they remain small, become lumpy and develop dark bumps. Affected fruit usually fall already in June; if you cut them open, you find several yellowish‑white maggots in the brown, mushy flesh.
Prevention
Collect fallen and infested fruit consistently and dispose of them in household waste, so the larvae cannot pupate in the soil. Loosen the soil under the canopy in late summer to autumn, which disturbs the overwintering pupae and makes them more accessible to birds and ground beetles as natural enemies. When planting new trees, choose robust, late‑blooming varieties and ensure a breezy, sunny location that brings the bloom to a quick end. A net or mesh over young trees during flowering can further hinder egg laying.
Affected plants
These plants in our database are especially susceptible.
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