[Daamoot]

This year my peas were eaten by mice/rabbits/pigeons as soon as they surfaced and before they got a chance to grow more than a few inches.  How would I go about protecting them from the mice or rabbits?  I have netting and intend to cover them (using the plans from DDs setup) so the pigeons can't get at them but I assume the mice or rabbits will eat through the netting?

I'd prefer not to kill them so hopefully you guys have some good ideas/methods of protecting them otherwise I'll be out in the early morning with the 22  I didn't mind them nibbling at my potatoes as I still harvested plenty but the only peas I got were from a few plants potted on my patio, veggiemeshed to shield them from moths.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions,
Damian

[Agatha]

Rabbits - do you have any way of fencing your veg area?  Netting might deter them if there are other things around for them to eat, but otherwise they'll just dig under it.  Netting is likely to make the mouse problem worse as it gives them shelter and they just burrow up under it - traps are the best way round the problem.  Or grow peas inside & plant out when they are bigger.  Either use a length of guttering & slide the peas out into a prepared trench in the garden or grow in loo roll inners before planting out.  Either way, I find once the peas are about 6 inches high, the mice aren't so interested.  They only go for the seeds or very small shoots. (And I'm too softhearted to put traps down  )

[Daamoot]

Hey Agatha,

My veg area is fenced off but as its quite old, its not very secure.  Its just a basic wide mesh with plenty holes and gaps for small wildlife to come and go.  I think it would be a very big job securing the area as its quite large.

The patch I wish to plant the peas in will be about 6x4m and its not had any work done to it yet so any fencing or bed raising wouldn't be an issue here.  Would it be worthwhile bordering the area with timber to make a short raised bed and sinking some fine wire mesh into the ground?

I like the sound of the gutter idea but as it stands I don't have that kind of space for growing indoors.  I aim to purchase a greenhouse over the winter so this may change.  And if we get a late frost again like this year it would be ideal to have them started indoors and plant them out once May seems safe.  Guess I should focus on a greenhouse then, cheers!

[Trillium]

After years of pea free worry, the last few years I've had mice eating all my new pea shoots. Only solution that worked was to plant out the seeds then immediately drop a tangle of old netting right on top of the pea row. Mice totally avoided it. Soon as the shoots are up, I pull off the netting as the mice are no longer interested. The guttering will also work as mice are interested only in the softened peas, not really the pea shoots.

As for rabbits, get 2 ft high poultry mesh and 'fence' off your pea area. By holding it in place with sticks, you can move it each year.

[shokkyy]

I'm in a similar situation in my garden, which is full of wildlife. We do have a rabbit warren near the big patch where I plant my peas and beans, but I don't find it difficult at all to keep them out. I have timber framed wire fencing around my patch, nothing under the ground, and they've never made any attempt to dig underneath it.

The mice are the real problem. Traps are not a worthwhile solution for me because the population is just too big, and no matter how many you catch it's just a drop in the ocean. This year they went after my pea seeds with a vengeance. I tried scrunched up netting and twigs over the seeds and they laughed at it. Left a neat row of holes where the seeds had been, the little toads know exactly where they are.

In the end I found a video on Youtube of a guy demonstrating how to make a 3-sided tunnel out of 4mm wire mesh (mice can squeeze through a quarter-inch gap), with the sides pushed down into the soil. It worked like a charm. You can buy sheets of that wire mesh in a lot of hardware/gardening shops, but I invested in a big roll of it from eBay. It would also keep off pigeons while the seedlings are still small.

[rowlandwells]

 there is an old remedy the gardeners still use today but i have to say i couldn't post it for several reasons but it works seen it done find an old gardener he mite tel you 

never had any problem with mice eating my peas although our plot is surrounded by hedgerows a mice haven so i set my peas in pots in the greenhouse let them grow up then transplant on the Lottie had a good crop of onward peas this year :happy:

as far as rabbits are concerned fenced all round the plot with round post's and rabbit netting a bit costly at first but its payed dividends long term 

[Daamoot]

Awesome, thanks for the tips folks!  Plenty to keep me busy and my peas protected.  Your 'old remedy' sounds interesting rowland and there's an old gardener near our local reservoir I could ask the next time I'm walking the dogs there.

So I need:
  1 x greenhouse (for seedlings)
  gutters (for seedlings)
  4mm mesh (for tunnel seed protector for direct sowing)
  2ft high poultry mesh (to fence the bed)

Thankfully I have 4-5months to acquire these on the cheap    Thanks again everyone!

[Nikkithefoot]

I suffer with rabbits, and deer on my plot so everything except spuds and squashes gets grown under debris netting tunnels. Even my garlic gets covered or eaten!

Debris netting about £40 ish for a 50m roll, and I get the water pipe for hoops as ofcuts from one of my neighbours who is a plumber.

Advantage of covering apart from stopping critturs is that weeds are easier to control, provided its well weeded prior to planting, and it provides a slightly warmer micro climate which aids growth.

Disadvantage of permanant cover is mildewy rot on leaves in continuous wet weather!

[Trillium]

Check everywhere for sales. It's the only way to afford these things. We got our 2 ft poultry mesh on a half price sale, and got 6 fifty foot rolls. Would have bought more but someone before us took all but 6. 

[rowlandwells]

 Daamoot
 let me know if your old gardener has the answer 'old remedy' i can tell you it does work but sounds a bit off putting

 good luck RW

[anatomick]

After losing a lot of my early peas to mice I tried something which seemed to work. I had a spare sheet of clear plastic which I had used earlier as a cloche for the toms. I spread it over the area I'd just  sowed the peas in and buried all the edges down with a little earth. As soon as the peas were showing underneath I lifted it. Not sure if it was just luck or the mice found something better to eat elsewhere but I'll definitely be trying it again next year.