It's one of those flowering trees that looks nice for about 3 days in the early spring, Like most of the inside and outside of my house, it was ignored for more than 5 years before we bought the house 3 years ago. I've been pruning the suckers back periodically but they are now beginning to fill in and getting harder to control. Best thing I can find online is to cut them back as close to the root as possible, which makes sense, though I'm not looking forward to scrapping soil away and such and having them just grow back again in a week. Anyone ever been successful in such an endeavor and have advice (I already drink heavily and it's a pear tree not an apple tree so don't think buying a mac will help). I'm tempted to cut the stupid thing down, it's a boring tree in an odd location in the yard, but that's even more work and a bigger PIA since I don't have a truck to haul the debris or to rent a grinder.