Pears, with their sweet and juicy flesh, are a favored fruit for many animals, both wild and domestic. They serve as a valuable food source in natural ecosystems, providing energy, vitamins, and fiber. This appeal means that pear trees, especially those in gardens or orchards, frequently attract a diverse array of visitors seeking a tasty meal.
Mammals That Enjoy Pears
A wide range of mammals are drawn to the sweet appeal of pears. Deer, with their strong preference for fruits, readily consume pears found on the ground or directly from the tree. They also munch on tender shoots, which can sometimes damage young trees. Bears, particularly black and grizzly bears, also actively seek out pears, especially fallen ones, to supplement their diet.
Raccoons are opportunistic omnivores that find ripe pears appealing. Their nimble hands enable them to climb trees to pick fruit or scavenge fallen pears. Squirrels, while primarily known for nuts, also consume fruits like pears, often collecting them to stash away for later. They may take bites out of multiple pears, leaving partially eaten fruit behind.
Opossums, like raccoons, are nocturnal omnivores drawn to ripe fruit, frequently foraging for pears on the ground. Foxes also eat pears, especially when other food sources are scarce.
Birds That Eat Pears
Many bird species also enjoy pears, viewing them as a source of sugar and nutrients. Thrushes, including American robins, eat pears, often pecking at cut or fallen fruit. Robins incorporate fruit into their diet, particularly when insects become less abundant in fall and winter. Starlings are common garden visitors that consume pears.
Larger birds, such as crows and jays, eat pears, sometimes leaving distinctive wedge-shaped marks on the fruit. Cedar waxwings, known for their fruit-heavy diets, consume pears and other berries. Even finches, typically seed-eaters, might peck at the soft flesh of pears, and woodpeckers may consume pear pieces left on tree trunks or platforms.
Insects and Other Pests
Smaller organisms, including various insects and invertebrates, can also damage pear harvests. Wasps, particularly yellowjackets and paper wasps, are attracted to the sugary flesh of ripening or damaged pears, especially in late summer and fall. They can excavate cavities in the fruit. Fruit flies are another common pest, drawn to overripe or fermenting fruit.
Other insect pests include the codling moth, whose larvae bore into the fruit to feed on the flesh and seeds, creating small holes and frass. Pear psylla, an aphid-like insect, feeds on leaves and fruit, secreting honeydew that can lead to sooty mold growth on the fruit. Aphids can infest new growths, causing leaf curling and distortion, while pear sawfly larvae skeletonize leaves by eating between the veins. Mites, such as pear-leaf blister mites and spider mites, can also affect pear trees by feeding on leaves, causing fruit russeting.
Protecting Your Pear Harvest
Protecting a pear harvest from animals and pests involves several strategies. Prompt harvesting of fruit as it ripens can reduce losses to animals and insects. Cleaning up fallen fruit regularly is also important, as it removes a strong attractant for many pests, including wasps and ground-dwelling mammals.
Physical barriers offer protection. Fencing around trees can deter larger mammals like deer, preventing them from browsing on fruit and foliage. Bird netting can be draped over trees to create a physical barrier against birds, preventing them from pecking at ripening fruit. For smaller pests, deterrents and traps can be employed, such as wasp traps baited with sugary solutions to divert them from the fruit. Monitoring for insect pests and using appropriate, targeted treatments or biological controls when necessary can also help preserve the harvest.