Did you remove the scale or the tree? Can you post a picture of the tree with a close up of the scale? What kind of trees did you loose and how old were they? If you have multiple trees with the same issue I would want to id the problem before replanting with more fruit trees since it sounds like whatever it is is spreading. The good news is that once the weather starts to cool in the next few weeks a lot of nurseries will be having fall sales. Watch out for potbound roots. If possible look at the roots before you buy and stay away from any tree with long roots circling around the bottom of the pot. Good luck!

There are 2 potential answers. 1. Most likely this is an off year for your tree. Pecans are a masting tree (bear fruit irregularly). This is natural and happens in the wild. The purpose of this is that by producing a large crop, the tree makes more seed than the predators can eat (crows, squirells, weevils) so some is left for new trees. The next year there are no nuts and the predators starve and the population lowers. Often all the trees in the forest will be on a similar schedule and one year there are few nuts, the next year plenty. Even good pecan growers struggle with this problem, and it is the focus of much pecan research. 2. The other potential problem is pecan scab. This is a disease that affects the leaf and shucks, producing black velvety spots. If the young nuts are heavily infected they will drop off in the summer. In a wet year this disease can devastate your crop. If you see a lot of catkins on the tree in spring, there were probably female flwers as well and if you then don't have nuts something like scab took the crop. If you don't see catkins then the female flowers were probably never there and it is an off-year for your tree.

Woody lives! You should prune off any damaged or obviously dead branches back to a growing point, such as another branch. It's a little hard to tell, but I think you've planted Woody a bit too deep. Some of his root flair, where the trunk widens and starts to become root material, should be above the soil.

I don't see any insects or insect eggs and the trunk on the pear tree looks normal. We have had plenty of rain in the Nashville area. I see this on all the branches.