rust spots on my pear tree

Leave the tree alone until you find out what is really causing it. The rust problems I have had didn't kill any of the trees, but I did cut down two cedar trees that were growing pretty close to the apple, pear, and peach trees.

I would call the county extension office (if you live in the U.S.) and have an agent come out and look at what you have. Otherwise contact your local college (if they have an agriculture division), and ask for their help.

Dwayne

There are a couple of possibilities: one is a rust fungus, the other is a mite. No, don't take the tree down. Mostly it's a cosmetic issue for most home gardeners, but if you don't mind spraying and/or removing the alternate hosts of the rust fungus, you can keep it damped down nicely most years.

Kay

Just for the record, the problem comes from certain Juniper varieties, of which the Red Cedar (misnamed) belongs. The offending spores can travel miles to your fruit trees, but if the offending Junipers are closeby, you will see ugly galls on them, a consequence of the apple cedar rust disease

Here is a good web reference on the disease:

with fungicides. The result was a reduction of the problem, but it never went away. I removed the two Red Cedars. If the offending Junipers are on your neighbor's lots, there is not much you can do except try to reduce the effect with fungicides.

Sherwin

at least rust spots are better than "squirrel bodies". they ate all the developing pears already. damn squirrels. Ingrid