Fire Blight

• Fire blight is caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora. Trees in the Rosacea family, especially quince, pears and apples are most susceptible to fire blight. The tree may form canker wounds on the bark and branches before any other signs appear. Obvious symptoms of fire blight start at the beginning of the growing cycle, with a brown, watery ooze seeps from the twigs, branches and cankered bark. Flowers turn brown and shrivel up, and the leaves turn brown or black while remaining on the branches giving the tree a scorched appearance, hence the name 'fire blight.' Any fruit that forms also turns black and clings to the tree.
  
  

Fire Blight Control

• Prevent fire blight by planting trees resistant to the disease. Severe pruning and overfeeding both encourage succulent, disease-susceptible growth. Remove infected areas, along with six to 12 inches of healthy tissue below and above the diseased area as soon as possible. Use a diluted bleach solution to disinfect pruning shears with each cut made to avoid spreading the disease to healthy areas. Spray the tree with Bacillus subtilis, a bacterium that kills and prevents fire blight causing pathogens. When the tree goes into dormancy, spray with a Bordeaux mix, which combines copper sulfate and hydrated lime to protect the tree from re-occurring breakouts.
  
  

Mites

• Various species of mites are red, including spider mites and Southern red mites, which are a common problem in the Rosacea family. Most mites are miniscule in size and the damage is more noticeable than the pest themselves. Mites are eight-legged pests that belong to the Tetranychidae family. Mites, like aphids, suck the sap from leaves causing them to curl and become mottled. Mite infestations also cause the tree growth to become stunted.
  
  

Aphids

• Aphids are tiny insects that come in a wide range of colors including red. They gather in clusters on the stems, bark and buds, and under the leaves to suck the sap from the tree's leaves. The leaves become curled, mottled and sometimes drop off. Heavy infestations may cause the tree to die. Aphids cause further nuisance by excreting honeydew, which causes sooty mold. Sooty mold coats the leaves and prevents the tree from receiving photosynthesis.
  
  

Insect Control

• Control pests on trees with horticultural oils, neem or insecticidal soaps. Horticultural oils kill aphids and mites by smothering them so they cannot receive oxygen, as well as repel insects. Because horticultural provide thorough coverage over the entire tree surface, they are very effective at wiping out pests. Applying neem oil to the tree makes the leaves unpalatable to the pest and those pests who do continue feeding are unable to reproduce. Insecticidal soaps kill pests on trees by dehydrating them. Insecticidal soaps are available commercially or made at home using water and a dash of mild dish soap. Avoid burning the tree by applying insecticides out of direct sunlight and leaving them out of the sun until the solution is dry.