[shokkyy]

Do you leave the mesh in place and just let the peas grow through it?

No, I left the mesh until the peas were starting to push up against it (it does allow them a few inches of growth) and then I moved it. They didn't seem to be interested in the seedlings, just the seeds. It has to be the very small mesh, because mice can get through a half-inch gap, and that doesn't allow enough room for a seedling to get through it. But once I'd made the wire tunnels I stashed them away when I removed them, and I've used them again this year, when I sowed my mange tout today, so it was very quick and easy to just pull them out and pop them over the new seeds.

I had tried all the usual things like netting or twigs or brambles, but nothing else stopped them except this wire mesh. I think once they've found the food source it's very hard to stop them unless you can come up with an effective barrier. All the poisons and traps in the world will only get a few of them and it's a drop in the ocean when you've got a big local population. Only a barrier will do the job.

[Mark's Sussex Allotment]

I've put a fleece over the top of them and held four corners down with some short cut scaffolding boards.

There's enough room for the seeings to stick their heads out and I hope the mice down come looking and getting underneath.

I'll try the wire mesh next time I think!