Nick is right, of course, but I'd suggest that you might also consider whether there actually is a problem.
I'm not disputing what you say. From your description, it's pretty clear that the trees are showing symptoms of being under attack by something or other, but it seems to me that, as well as asking what that something might be, you need to ask yourself is if it really matters that the trees are less than perfect.
Is it important to you that you get edible fruit off the trees? Is it important to you that the trees flourish because they're a crucial feature of your garden? Or are you just feeling sorry for the trees or perhaps embarassed that they're not as nice looking as the one in your neighbours' gardens?
The trees that came with our house were a mixed bag, but few of them looked thoroughly healthy at any point. After a complete year in the place, I came to the conclusion that almost all the fruit trees were rubbish since the skinflint previous owner had grown them from seed rather than doing things the proper way and buying named cultivars that had been grafted onto the appropriate rootstock. Fruit trees hardly ever produce anything nice if grown from seed. Also, some rootstocks help to reduce susceptability to some diseases.
The result of this conclusion was that last winter my chainsaw and I created a nice stack of firewood. Then I planted a selection of new fruit trees that will, in a few years, start producing fruit much nicer than anything previously grown on this place.
My point is that I'd suggest you wait and see if you think the trees are really worth worrying about, or if you should give some (or all) of the existing trees a decent send-off and then make a contribution to the on-going history of your place by planting some new trees.
I'd also suggest that a wait-and-see strategy might result in you discovering that the trees and whatever it is that's causing them to look sad at the moment have established some sort of equilibirum over the years: the ancient apple trees here are looking very munched-upon at the moment, but I know they'll cope okay and produce another crop of mediocre apples in a few months. There's also obviously something around that much enjoys cherry leaf salad, so those trees also are looking bad, but I know they'll soon produce more cherries than we will ever be able to cope with.
There's an old adage that you should never do anything with the garden until you've lived in a house for a year. That advice usually refers to digging things up or planting new things, but I'd put spraying toxins on that list too.
I very much doubt that a bit of watchful neglect on your part will result in the trees dying in a couple of months.
Al
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