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Pears disappearing before harvest #575966

Asked July 01, 2019, 4:39 PM EDT

We are having two pear trees and for past 3 years we see bunches of baby fruits and all will be gone over night.  Totally confused what is happening to them all.  If squeals we see at least some half eaten fruits.  Please help us.

Howard County Maryland

Expert Response

It sounds like you might have animals -- squirrels, raccoons, and/or deer -- feeding on the fruits. Unfortunately, there is not an easy solution. Generally, you first have to identify the animal (this page can help: http://icwdm.org/handbook/index.aspx) and then choose appropriate methods for exclusion, habitat modification, use of repellants or traps. Refer to our fact sheet on dealing with nuisance wildlife. https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/programs/hgic/HGIC_Pubs/wildlife/HG90%...

This page has good information on how to deal with squirrels, specifically.
https://extension.psu.edu/tree-squirrels

Christa


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