"The leaves are just opening and they are curled up, wrinkled and distorted. Small amout of black just on the very edge of some leaves." That sure sounds like pear blister mite to me. I partially agree with Scott. Many times the leaves damaged by blister mite are partially red or have red spots, but not always. Sometimes the leaves are crinkled with black edges as you describe. Depending on the stage, sometimes the leaves just look crinkled. In the Midwest, blister mite is one of the most common minor pests on pears in home orchards. It didn't show up on my trees for several years. An oil spray at, or slightly before green tip completely takes care of it for me. ABJJ, We get tons of wind here in KS and I've never seen wind damage on pears. I don't know much about salt damage, but it would seem strange to me for it to show up all the sudden.

Sam: Sunburn is not the culprit. That would not turn the leaves black. More likely it is the pear psylla, a tiny fly that lays eggs all over the tree. Once the eggs hatch, the instars secrete a honeydew that is in turn colonized by fungus. It is this fungus that usually turns pear leaves black. The best solution I have found is a couple of very thorough dormant sprays with horticultural oil, mixed at about 6-8 ounces per gallon. The overwintering eggs will be present in all the little cracks and crevices of the tree, so careful coverage is important to break the pear psylla life cycle. I would recommend you time these dormant sprays once in early winter, and again just before bud break. Once the psylla cycle has begun, it is nearly impossible to eliminate the psylla instars with growing season sprays, and fungicides are impotent against the black sooty material on the leaves. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

OP: "...the Sevin I used set up a nice cozy care free environment for the mites." Here's a paragraph (from the link below) that would implicate Sevin (and some other insecticides): "Spider mites frequently become a problem after applying insecticides. Such outbreaks are commonly a result of the insecticide killing off the mites natural enemies but also occur when certain insecticides stimulate mite reproduction. For example, spider mites exposed to carbaryl (Sevin) in the laboratory have been shown to reproduce faster than untreated populations. Carbaryl, some organophosphates, and some pyrethroids apparently also favor spider mites by increasing the level of nitrogen in leaves. Insecticides applied during hot weather usually appear to have the greatest effect, causing dramatic spider mite outbreaks within a few days." Here is a link that might be useful: Spider Mites, UCDavis

The widespread use of Insecticides and Pesticides here is the primary reason we're looking into moving to a more advanced part of the country. What scares us most are the 'misting systems' some people are having installed outside their McMansions. I'm sure the neurologists and cancer clinics are THRILLED by the prospect of all the new business the misting systems may be creating for them. But herbicides are a big problem, too. Our moron neighbor sprayed some herbicide all around his property, three weeks ago. I had symptoms of poisoning (splitting headache and extreme thirst) within hours of his little spraying spree. The stuff still reeks. Every time this creep sprays, he spends the next week in the hospital. Cause and Effect seems to be a concept alien to a lot of people in this part of the world. We knew the man was a fool when we moved in and saw the thatch of dead grass in our boundary fence. So when I planted our screen of Cryptomeria and climbing roses, I made sure nothing was within six feet of the fence. But The Toxic Avenger waits for really windy days to spray, and has damaged quite a few of our plantings (and killed swaths of our grass). Pyrethrins, by the way, are mildly carcinogenic. We're going to be bitten by mosquitoes, regardless. I'd rather be exposed to West Nile while my immune system is working (and not suppressed by insecticides). Michelle 224, the bat houses sound great. And if the guano falls to the ground, they'll be better still. I can't imagine a better fertilizer. Now, If I could only persuade our possum to stop barfing on our patio...