How To Care for your Pear Tree

I noticed earlier in the year that some of the leaves in my pear tree was limp and most were starting to turn black, like someone had been playing a prank and setting the tips on fire. I noticed these green diamond-shaped bugs (aphids) on the tip of most of the leaves and I correctly figured out that those were responsible for my sick tree. I also noticed there were a lot of ants going up/down the tree trunk.

I sprayed the leaves with a strong stream of water and manually removed some by hand. This however didn't fix the problem. I talked to Richard, a friend of ours who owned his own landscaping and gardening business. He said that I should apply diluted dishwater soap in a spray bottle and spray the leaves with aphids on them, manually scraping off the aphids with my fingers. He also suggested stopping the ants from gong up and down the tree by applying some type of glue close to the base of the tree, but ensure the substance doesn't get to the bark by first wrapping the area with a plastic sheet. I didn't have that glue so I used a CLI Wasp & Hornet Killer solution which worked just as good. 

After the first day, the ants were gone and the areas that I applied diluted dishwater soap to also started to wilt. This was temporary however and by the second day, the aphids were gone and my tree was on its way to full recovery. I still decapitated some of the dead branches however as those were beyond repair. I saved the branches with pear fruits on them and it's looking like we may still be able to see them all come to fruition. Get it? Thanks Richard for helping save our tree.