In conclusion, as a natural insecticide, the clove essential oil could be exploited in developing more effective strategies to prevent and control pear psylla. Furthermore, as clove essential oil is widely used as an herbal medicine and spice, it is generally recognized as safe to human health (Zheng et al. 1992, Naveena et al. 2006) and no phytotoxicity was observed in our pear trees even at 10,000 ppm (B.-L., unpublished data). The positive attributes of these constituents warrant further research into their potential development as an eco-friendly insecticide for pear psylla control in fruit production.