[Dopey113]

I read here, that if you soak your peas the mice wont eat them, is this really true, you would have thought it would kill them, if this is the case, do you soak them over night or just a few hours? and will it work for beans, like french runner ect.

[LotuSeed]

I think I remember paraffin being used on the peas from an episode of the Victorian Kitchen Garden. It wasn't used by itself though. If I recall correctly, the peas were covered in paraffin and then red lead powder was added to stick to the paraffin coating. It was a technique that was used to keep mice from eating the peas before they had time to sprout. Because of the lead's toxicity, that particular technique is no longer used. I don't know that paraffin by itself would do much. Maybe others have more insight!

[maloneranger]

When I was a boy, 50+ years ago, pea seeds were put into an old jam jar containing enough paraffin to cover them.

This was just before sowing and our hands ended up smelling of the stuff after we'd sown them.

I don't know how well it worked, but I don't recall any crop failures.

[mower man]

I have used paraffin for years

I put them in a jar for 10 minutes then sow them

others on our allotment complain about the mice eating their peas
but I have never had any problems

[Goosegirl]

As Lotus says, red lead is highly toxic.

[Dopey113]

Thanks guys... Paraffin 10 mins... easy on the lead